Drowning in You: A True Love Story
by XxMaplecloudxX
Summary: Young Shadepool, whom has just become the new LeafClan medicine cat after the death of her mentor, meets a reckless NightClan tom named Redclaw...Rated for safety and a certain event. R&R.
1. Prologue

_Drowning in You: A True Love Story  
_By Poison Rain

**Summary:** Young Shadepool, whom has just become the new LeafClan medicine cat after the death of her mentor, meets a reckless NightClan tom named Redclaw. Though the warrior code forbids it, they fall in love. But with a rising threat foretold in a dream from StarClan that foolish Shadepool refuses to pay attention to, and a jealous tom who becomes dangerously obsessive of the poor she-cat, what will happen to them, their love, and all the Clans in the forest?

**Disclaimer: **Warriors belongs to Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, and Vicki Holmes, and I did not create it (as much as I wish I did. Heehee). Drowning in You internal content belongs to me, and no one else, so you better not steal it or I'll send my evil henchman after you. Dun dun duuuuun.

**Note: **Please be aware that this story has violence, some scary depictions, and extremely mild sex-related content in it. It's been rated appropriately, and so you can't blame me for how it makes you feel.

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**Well, here it is; the prologue. : ) It took a long time to finish. I don't know _how _long exactly, but let's just put it this way: it was light out when I started it, and it was dark out when I finished it. lol. I had to rewrite it though, so it took me longer than usual to write...Well anyway, enjoy! ; )

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Prologue

The sliver of a moon dangled in the sky like a sharpened claw. A grassy hollow surrounded by impenetrable walls of twisted brambles seemed ghostly and barren under the silver light. The night was still, and below the treetops the cats of LeafClan were preparing for sleep within the hollow. Though all was silent, a disturbance could be sensed . . .

The smooth leaves of the camp entrance rustled, and a jet black she-cat came pelting through. A yowl arose from her, and all heads turned in her direction. The cats' eyes were wide with fear as they stared at the she-cat.

A tabby tom rushed out of a den and bounded toward the black cat. He came to a halt in front of her and stared into her face for a moment, as if paralyzed with worry.

"Shadepool," the tom meowed, clearly afraid. "What happened?"

The she-cat opened her maw several times, but whenever she tried to speak she would choke on the words and have to gasp for breath. Finally she gave her leader the answer: "Oh Mudstar, Sparrowpelt . . ." she began, still trying to catch her breath. "We were heading to the Starcave, and a fox came out of nowhere!" She closed her blue eyes for a moment, and kept them sealed as she carried on. "He tried to fight it off, and it hurt him—badly. He told me to come get help; he wasn't strong enough to make the trip back with me. I ran back here as fast I could." She opened her eyes again.

The tabby was quiet as he took in the problem. Then he gave a curt nod. "All right then," he replied, his eyes wide with concern. "We must go help him. Falcontooth, Moonfur, Snowcloud!" he called out urgently. "Shadepool will lead the way to where Sparrowpelt's hurt, and then you three will help her carry him back to camp. Is everything clear?"

The three warriors, who had hurried up to their leader, nodded vigorously. Falcontooth glanced over at Shadepool, looking at her in a different way than usual; if Sparrowpelt died, the dark-furred cat would become the new medicine cat, and take on much bigger responsibilities than she had now, as the medicine cat trainee.

Shadepool glared at the cats. "Well, come on! Sparrowpelt's probably lost half his body's blood by now." She turned and sprinted over to the leafy entrance. After Falcontooth, Snowcloud, and Moonfur had left the camp, she slipped out after them into the shadowed woodland.

The panicked she-cat parted her jaws to drink in the scents around her. To her relief, the unpleasant reek of death was nowhere near where the medicine cat was.

"Come on, this way," she instructed briskly. With her tail doubled in size, Shadepool leaped through the undergrowth; the three others followed.

Her paws flew across a worn dirt path that had long since been walked upon by the Twolegs that had first made it; now it was LeafClan's way to the Starcave. The smell of blood began to get stronger as the four cats ran further down the pathway. Shadepool could feel her legs becoming weak with fear beneath her, even though the fox had run off after she had scratched its face. But now she was afraid of what she would find when they got where she was leading them.

Soon, a bloody heap of fur came into view, and the group slowed as they neared Sparrowpelt. Shadepool crouched down next to her mentor and began to clean his battered fur.

The injured tom opened his eyes and looked up at her without lifting his head. He was too weak to move one whisker; any movement at all would cause more loss of blood, and he was already soaked from head to tail-tip with the sticky, dark scarlet liquid.

"Shadepool . . . i-is that you?" he rasped with much difficulty.

Shadepool nodded and looked down at him fondly. "Yes, it's me Sparrowpelt," she whispered. "I brought warriors. Falcontooth and Snowcloud and Moonfur are here to help me carry you back to camp. You'll be all right . . ."

Sparrowpelt smiled at her warmly and closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them again, he mewed softly, "It's too late for me, Shadepool. No matter how many warriors come to help me, it's my turn to join the ranks of StarClan."

Shadepool's eyes became hard, and her neck fur rose. "No, don't say that!" she yowled. "It's _not _your time! We'll bring you back to camp and cover up your wounds. You can rest in the medicine den, and we'll all help nurse you back to health."

"Please don't waste your energy on me, Shadepool. When a cat's time comes, that's just the way it is." He struggled a purr. "Don't worry; I'll be safe with StarClan. And you will make a wonderful medicine cat. I'll be okay . . . and so will you."

With one last affectionate look at his apprentice, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes . . . never to open them again.

"No, Sparrowpelt!" Shadepool wailed, frantically nudging his shoulder with her head. But his lifeless body didn't move an inch. He was gone. "Sparrowpelt, no. Come back. Don't leave me!"

She jumped as Falcontooth appeared at her side. The dark tabby tom bowed his head sorrowfully, then lifted it again to rasp his tongue over Shadepool's ears.

"I know you really cared about your mentor," he said quietly to her. "But he was right; it was his time to join StarClan, and there was nothing any of us could do."

Behind them, Moonfur erupted with a yowl of despair. Snowcloud, the newest and youngest warrior of LeafClan, let out a series of pathetic mewls. Falcontooth started murmuring inaudible words next to the medicine cat's body. But Shadepool didn't cry; she didn't wail or whimper. She just stood there with emotionless eyes and a blank expression.

"It was my fault," she said in a low, dry voice. "He fought the fox to save _me._"

Falcontooth shot his head up to glare at her. "This was not your fault, Shadepool!" he snapped. "Don't you ever think that. Thank Sparrowpelt for dying to try and protect you, but you were _not _responsible for his death."

"I guess I know that," Shadepool replied, staring at the ground. "But at the same time I feel like it _was_ my fault, and I'm guilty."

"Well, of course you feel guilty," Moonfur comforted her, padding up. "Everyone feels at least a little guilty when they're involved in a trauma. But don't be so hard on yourself; this really wasn't because of you."

Shadepool paused, then nodded. "All right, you three head back to camp with Sparrowpelt's body, please. I need to go to the Starcave and share with StarClan . . . for him. Maybe I'll even get to say good-bye to him in my dream."

The two warriors nodded. Falcontooth flicked his tail to Snowcloud, and the shocked youngster quickly came to the older cat's aid. The three worked together to pick up Sparrowpelt's body, and then they staggered away into the darkness.

Shadepool stared after them for a moment—and for the first time, the thought came to her: now that Sparrowpelt was in StarClan, _she _would have to become the medicine cat in his place!

* * *

She padded to the mouth of the Starcave, her paws aching. She couldn't wait to lie down inside below the hole in the roof where the moonlight streamed in, and go to sleep.

Shadepool took a deep breath and walked into the dark cavern. She drew in the scents of the cave, and waited a moment for her eyes to get somewhat adjusted to the pitch black. Then she walked through the tunnel, letting her whiskers and her warrior ancestors guide her around every twist and turn.

After what seemed like moons of walking in circles, a light appeared up ahead. Shadepool began to walk faster, and soon she was right below the hole in the cave roof. It was called the Entrance, where the spirits of StarClan were said to enter the cave once the medicine cat went to sleep, and then they would speak with him while standing around his slumbering body.

Shadepool stepped into the patch of moonlight, her black fur turning blue-ish white. She laid down and rested her head on the cold stone floor. Closing her eyes, it was only heartbeats before she was swept into a deep sleep.

She awoke in a grassy hollow much like her own camp, but there were no walls of brambles; just a ring of juniper bushes. It was more like a clearing than a hollow, come to think of it.

Suddenly, orbs of light began drifting down from the star-specked sky. They were small, yet the vast number of them illuminated the clearing and turned the grass and bushes to pale silver.

Shadepool looked around nervously. She had never had a dream like this when she had been the medicine cat apprentice. But maybe now that she was the medicine cat, and not training to be one, her experiences with StarClan would be different.

The orbs drifted closer to the ground, and suddenly cats began to appear in place of the orbs; slowly becoming less and less see-through until they were solid. They were all so amazing, with gleaming coats and stardust hanging around their bodies. They began walking downwards on the air toward the ground, leaving shimmering white pawprints wherever they stepped.

They could always set a cat in awe, no matter how many times that cat had seen them. Shadepool was no exception. She stood there with her mouth agape like a foolish kit. She rapidly blinked her eyes, closing her jaw and forcing herself to sit calmly as the warrior spirits alighted around her.

A handsome tabby tom with a small 'v' in his left ear stepped forward and touched noses with her. It took a moment for Shadepool to realize that the tom was Sparrowpelt! His coat had been restored to its healthy gloss—the blood and gouges had disappeared—and he looked younger than he had ever looked when Shadepool had known him in life.

She nearly jumped a mile into the air. "Sparrowpelt, I _do _get to say good-bye to you!" she squealed, sounding like a youngling. Her eyes were bright with excitement.

A deep purr rumbled from Sparrowpelt's throat. "Yes, I suppose you do," he spoke in his steady voice. "You will make a fine medicine cat, Shadepool. I will always be with you to guide you whenever you need assistance."

Shadepool pushed her head into his fur. "Good-bye, Sparrowpelt. I'll never forget you."

"Remember, Shadepool. I'll always be right by your side. Always." Then he backed away and sat down again among the ranks of StarClan.

Another cat stepped toward her; a pretty light gray she-cat with pale green eyes. "We welcome you as a full medicine cat, Shadepool," the she-cat meowed. "As Sparrowpelt said, you will do a wonderful job as LeafClan's healer."

Shadepool dipped her head respectfully, for this was the LeafClan leader before Mudstar: Skystar.

"Thank you, Skystar. I'll do the best I can." She smiled, flicking her tail in farewell as the former leader sat back down in the empty space she had risen from.

All the cats of StarClan rose their voices to yowls of celebration, and began to chant her name in unison. It sounded like the millions of voices it was, but at the same time one voice alone.

Sparrowpelt walked to the front of the crowd again and stood with bristling fur a tail-length away from his former apprentice. His eyes were dark with worry, and his tail hung low.

"Sparrowpelt, what's wrong?" Shadepool asked, her voice shrill with concern.

Suddenly the light faded, and the darkness of the night was there again. She could just barely make out the forms of her warrior ancestors that still stood there. Sparrowpelt took a couple steps forward, so that just his face was softly lit by the moon up ahead.

"Something terrible is going to happen, Shadepool," he told her, his voice deep and serious.

Shadepool's heart began to pound against her chest. "What?" she whispered fearfully. "What's going to happen?"

Sparrowpelt didn't answer her; he just continued the premonition. "You will drown in the depths of your own heart, and your Clan will drown in the depths of the water."

"Water?" Shadepool mewed in a voice barely loud enough to hear. "What water?"

Sparrowpelt just ignored her again. "Beware the black river, Shadepool, and never do anything unless your heart wants to."

Then the cats faded, and the clearing went with them. All of a sudden, Shadepool was in a cloud of mist. The helpless yowls of cats in danger were all around her, but they were foggy and distant, and she couldn't see anyone; she was all alone.

And then the water came.

A huge amount of rushing water, the color of her fur, swept around her and picked her up off the ground. She found herself thrashing around, kicking her back legs for dear life. The yowls of the poor dying cats became louder and louder until they meshed together into a dreadful roaring in her ears, as if there was a whole Clan in the water, but all she could see were _dead _cats floating on the surface with their faces down.

Shadepool was almost frozen with fear. She tried to call out, but the second she opened her mouth water filled it, and as she choked on it she stopped kicking. After only a heartbeat, the river pulled her down, down, down to the bottom of the depths. And suddenly, everything was dark.

She couldn't see a thing, and she wasn't breathing yet she was still alive. After a moment a silvery light came into view. She started kicking her hind legs furiously, and propelled herself toward the light. It got brighter and brighter as she swam on in the thick blanket of black, and soon it became blinding. She shut her eyes as she pushed herself into it, and suddenly she felt herself slam onto hard, smooth stone.

Shadepool snapped open her eyes. She was in the Starcave again, her fur damp with sweat. She could hear her own heavy breathing echoing off the rock walls.

Rising slowly into a sitting position, she looked around. There wasn't one drop of water anywhere around her, except for a small pool in a corner.

Shadepool sighed in relief. _It was all just a dream, _she thought. Her heart was still racing, but she calmed down after a moment of the cavern's silence. _It's over now . . ._

She stood up and shook herself. She just had to forget about her nightmare, as simple as that. And she _would _forget about it; she didn't want the dirty black river or the deafening sound of the cats' yowls to ever enter her mind again!

Closing her eyes for just a heartbeat and then opening them again, Shadepool turned around and began to walk hurriedly back the way she had come. She was eager to get out of the Starcave and back to camp to her new nest at the back of the medicine den. She wouldn't tell anyone about what she had seen while she slept—and anyway, what Sparrowpelt had said didn't sound much like a prophecy; she wasn't obligated to report a message like that to Mudstar, right? And if there's no prophecy, a medicine cat must not speak of what they experienced when they shared with StarClan.

The thought briefly crossed her mind that she was just making up excuses so she wouldn't have to think or speak of her frightening dream, but she quickly sent it away. She was being a responsible medicine cat by keeping her dream to herself. Besides, she didn't want to worry the Clan over something that might not even be very important.

With that matter covered, Shadepool focused on finding her way out of the Starcave. It wasn't long before she saw the entrance a little ways ahead. She bounded across the last few tail-lengths and raced outside. The light of the distant sun had just appeared on the horizon.

"I better hurry," she remarked aloud. "I need to get back to camp before the dawn patrol leaves."

Shadepool broke into a run, already starting to forget about her dream and what Sparrowpelt had said to her as she raced with the wind.

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**Well, I hope you liked the prologue. Chapter 1 will be coming soon. Please review!! (Critique is okay - actually, I'd like it - but please no criticism. Be nice.)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay guys, here's the latest addition to DiY. : ) Sorry it took me a while to upload it...But anywho, enjoy Chappie 1!

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Chapter 1

Shadepool's eyes blinked open to the bright morning sunlight. Birds were twittering in the trees. She jerked her gaze in the direction of a sudden sound, and saw a startled kit barrel up a tree trunk, causing an uproar among the feathered creatures. Shadepool shook her head as its mother helped it down and purred in amusement.

She slowly rose to her paws, flinching as her stiff legs unfurled. She had stayed in the same crouching position since she had gotten back from the Starcave to now; the sun was fully raised in the sky. Sparrowpelt's cold body had lain next to her the whole time as she mourned the lost life of her beloved mentor. But now the elders were starting to wake up, and she knew it was their job to take all dead bodies to the burial grounds.

_I pity them, _she thought as she imagined tugging a heavyweight body through the forest, and then digging a hole big enough to place it in. But at the same time, she envied them; they got to spend the very last moments with the passed souls, and this was her _mentor; _she and Sparrowpelt had practically been like family. _Perhaps I'll help them._

The old cats emerged from their den, their fur ruffled from sleep. They paused to look around the camp for nothing in particular, then rested their gazes upon the bloodied mound of fur in the center of the hollow. Their paws carried them over to the still Sparrowpelt—and the Clan's new healing warrior.

"Congratulations, Shadepool," Mistfur rasped. "You're the new LeafClan medicine cat." She smiled, but it was gone in a flash; Mistfur was infamous for being the grumpiest of all the elders, so smiling wasn't exactly her "thing".

Shadepool dipped her head respectfully. "Thank you Mistfur, but it's a bit hard to be excited when Sparrowpelt's gone."

Mistfur's eyes didn't meet hers. Sparrowpelt had been the old she-cat's son, but she had always been ashamed of him choosing the path of herbs rather than the path of a Clan warrior.

"Yes," she meowed dryly. "We'll all miss him. It's too bad he couldn't die a warrior with honor and justice."

"Put a mouse in it, Mistfur!" One-ear snapped. "You should be proud of your son for dedicating his life to healing his Clanmates." She walked up to Shadepool and grinned. "If that's not serving your Clan well, then I don't know what is."

Shadepool purred. "Well all right, if we're about finished," she mewed jokingly.

"Come on, Loosefoot!" Mistfur called to a black-and-white tom sniffing at a plump mouse. "We haven't got all day."

Loosefoot limped over to them, the dead paw on his front leg dangling above the ground like it always did when he walked—well, teetered. The tom just gave a curt nod; he rarely spoke.

The three elders each grabbed a hold of Sparrowpelt's fur. He didn't look anything like the cat he had been when he was alive; his pelt was much darker, still coated with dried blood, and his once-pretty eyes were blank and glazed over now that the soul that had inhabited his body had left.

"Wait!" Shadepool meowed as the cats began to walk toward the camp entrance. They looked back at her. "Could I help you bury him?"

Mistfur and the two others exchanged looks. They carefully set Sparrowpelt back down. "I suppose," the gray she-cat replied, shrugging. "It would certainly help to have one more assisting us." She jerked her head in the direction of the entrance. "So come on."

Shadepool nodded and bounded over, grabbing her mentor's scruff and lifting him up off the ground with the others. Then they inched sideways toward the leafy tunnel, stopping several times so Loosefoot could regain his balance. It took a while to reach the burial grounds, but then they finally set Sparrowpelt on the soil and sat down to rest.

Shadepool looked around. The place was eerie, with mist circling around stones that marked different cats' burial sites. The wind made the thin, scraggly tree branches rattle together like bones, as if symbolizing what these grounds were for. A crow called out from somewhere among the trees, and a tiny voice told her to run for her life. But this wasn't a place of danger; it was a peaceful place, where the bodies of the LeafClan cats that had risen to StarClan could rest forever more. And this was where Sparrowpelt's body would rest, too.

At the thought of the old medicine cat, Shadepool turned her head to him. She wondered what it was like being in StarClan; what it was like to be dead, and know what had become of you...

"Shadepool."

Mistfur's annoyed growl made her snap back to the present.

"Oh...y-yes...Mistfur?" she stammered, blinking rapidly and turning to the old she-cat.

Mistfur looked impatient. "I _said _we have to bury Sparrowpelt now. What is it with you and dead bodies? They seem to fascinate you." Her top lip quivered in disgust, as if she found it wrong to be intrigued by rotting flesh—but that wasn't the case at all.

Shadepool sighed, though she didn't respond; she knew better than to argue with Mistfur. Instead, she just helped them pick the lifeless tom up again and place him in a deep hole. Then they all said a brief prayer for him, and kicked dirt into the gouge until it was filled.

As the others walked off, pausing to wait for her, Shadepool stared down at her old mentor's grave. A tear emanated from her eye, but she shook it away before it rolled down her face.

"I'll see you in my dreams, Sparrowpelt," she whispered. Then she waited a moment, and finally whirled around to head back to camp with the elders. She flicked her tail-tip in final farewell to her teacher, her protector...and her best friend.

* * *

As they arrived back at camp, Shadepool noticed right away that something wasn't right. The Clan were murmuring to each other, and they all seemed to be a little nervous—no, more than a little. Everyone was scurrying around, bumping into each other and mewling worriedly like kits.

She and the elders parted, and Shadepool instantly raced over to Mudstar. He was sitting atop the Tallboulder with the deputy, Falcontooth, looking paranoid and working a patch of moss with his paws.

"Mudstar, what's going on?!" she yowled. She leapt up onto the large rock and stopped abruptly, bristling beside him. "Everyone's so scared!"

Mudstar seemed to not have heard her. He was staring straight ahead at the camp wall, still kneading the moss.

"Mudstar!" Shadepool repeated insistently.

The dark tabby whipped his head to the side, his olive eyes wide with shock. Falcontooth glanced at his leader, and after a moment he stepped forward to speak for the frozen tom.

Mudstar blew out loudly and jerked his gaze over to the deputy.

"Night—"

"Thank you Falcontooth, but I should tell her," he hissed, cutting the other cat off.

Looking slightly offended, Falcontooth growled and stepped back to sit where he had been before.

Mudstar turned back to her. "NightClan have raided our training hollow close to their border," he explained hurriedly. "I can only send a patrol of five to fight, because there has to be enough warriors here in case they attack the camp, but there's eight of them out there!"

Falcontooth hissed and took a step forward again. "What are you afraid of, Mudstar, that more than five warriors will scare away the mice?" he asked scornfully. "I say, take the risk and defend LeafClan any way we can! We shouldn't let those flea-bitten rats—"

Shadepool bared her fangs at him. "Who's the leader here Falcontooth, you or him?!" she spat, cutting him off for the second time. She unsheathed her claws in readiness.

Mudstar thrust his way between the bristling cats. "Letting chaos unleash among you and your Clanmates only shows that we're letting NightClan have power over us, and I will _not _have LeafClan appear weak to those cats!" he meowed sternly.

Shadepool let her fur lie flat again. "Mudstar's right," she said. "Let's just think and decide what's best for the Clan. That's what really matters, after all; thinking of the Clan before our own issues."

Falcontooth didn't agree with her, but to Shadepool's relief he didn't protest either. He just remained quiet as she and Mudstar both closed their eyes and attempted to conjure up a legitimate plan.

Shadepool snapped her eyes open. "What about if we send a patrol around the back skirts of our territory?" she suggested. "Then we'll come up from behind the training hollow and give NightClan a bit of a surprise."

Mudstar looked thoughtful. "That could work," he answered quietly, still contemplating different plans, however.

"And how do you suppose we get _in_to the hollow?" Falcontooth snapped.

Shadepool shot him a glare. "There's an entrance at the back some fox made a while back when I was just beginning my medicine cat training," she told him coolly

After a moment, Mudstar nodded his head. "Yes, that'll work fine," he finally agreed. He got up from his sitting position and yowled to the Clan. "All right, we're going to send a patrol to the back of the territory, and then they'll go _behind _the training hollow!" he told the cats. "I will lead, of course. Goldenleaf, you must stay at Shadepool's side at all times. She doesn't know as much about fighting as the warriors, but she'll need to be there to tend to our cats' wounds."

Shadepool stepped to her leader's side and growled in protest. "Just because I'm a medicine cat, doesn't mean I can't fight as well as any other member of LeafClan!" But a sharp look from Mudstar silenced her and she sat back down, dipping her head to accept the tom's orders.

"Okay," Mudstar went on. "We need five warriors to go on the patrol, not counting Falcontooth; he needs to be there. Bluecloud, you and Frogpaw will go. Smoketail, Brackenstream, and Iceclaw; you will go, too." He jumped off the Tallboulder, ending the meeting, and quickly trotted over to the entrance. He signaled Falcontooth and Shadepool with a flick of his tail. The two cats leaped off the rock and bounded over to their leader.

Shadepool unsheathed her claws. "I'll fight if I need to, Mudstar!" she promised.

Mudstar blinked in gratitude. "You are just as strong and brave as any warrior, Shadepool," he meowed. "But you can help your Clan in this battle by healing the wounds they _will _receive—I can guarantee you'll have some work to do at the training hollow."

Shadepool nodded curtly, then looked behind her. The other cats of the patrol were already there with them, and at Mudstar's signal they raced out of the clearing.

"Stay safe!" she called over her shoulder to the Clan before running out after the others.

* * *

Shadepool's heart pounded as the patrol neared the training hollow. She could already hear the vicious yowls of the NightClan cats as they tore apart the walls. _If they want it as their own—or at least I'm pretty sure that's it—why would they be destroying it? _she thought to herself. _The mousebrains..._

Mudstar signaled for the cats behind him to stop. They were right next to the fox-entrance, and Shadepool could feel Goldenleaf shaking beside her. The poor golden tabby was a young warrior, and she had only been in a few battles. And NightClan was known to be violent and vicious. Shadepool's heart suddenly froze as she thought for the first time of the damage the aggressive Clan could do to them. LeafClan were always the first to suggest peace, and they were quite generous; always wanting to help out others. What if NightClan saw them as weak and never gave up on stealing parts of their turf? Well, they obviously _already _thought they were weak, or else they wouldn't be here on their territory attacking LeafClan's training area at this very moment.

"Goldenleaf," she whispered to the trembling she-cat. "You don't have to keep an eye on me; I can take care of myself, don't worry. Just go fight for your Clan." She gave a quick smile as Goldenleaf nodded, not speaking one word.

Mudstar's tail was puffed out, as were the rest of the cats'. He swallowed hard, clearly trying to stay calm for his Clan. Then he rose his voice to a furious yowl, and his tail shot up. That was the signal. Almost upon instance, the patrol barreled into the grassy hollow, each leaping onto the first cat they could get their claws on.

Shadepool scurried off to a corner, where hopefully no enemy cats would notice her while they were caught up in the heat of battle. She began frantically sorting herbs, preparing to heal anything her Clanmates received. She put the poppy seeds—she had brought lots of 'em—in a clean little mound, and stacked all the leaves in different piles, each herb in its own neatly put together heap. She was amazed that she was able to do this in such a hectic time, but she managed enough.

"Wait a minute," she said aloud. She rummaged through the herbs in a panic, quickly transitioning the tidy stacks into a jumbled mess. "Where are the dock leaves?" She looked harder, but the dock was just not there. _How can I tend to their wounds if I don't have the main herb for scratches?! _she spat internally. She quickly scanned the hollow to see if she had dropped the leaves somewhere—and sure enough, there they were in the center of the chaotic battle. "Just my luck," Shadepool grumbled.

She carefully set one paw in front of her, then another, and another. She soon found herself walking into the midst of the fight with ease, nearing the dock pawstep by pawstep. It was a miracle from StarClan that the leaves hadn't already been trampled, but she made to move faster at the thought that they might be any moment.

"Watch out!" a voice yowled from the other side of the hollow.

Shadepool whipped her head to the side just in time to see a huge tabby tom springing from the ground right at her. She screeched in terror and tried to move out of the way, but she seemed to be frozen to the ground.

Suddenly, something rammed into her side. She was bowled over onto the grass, falling with a painful _thud _on her shoulder. She just lay there for a moment, dazed. But when her mind finally found its home again and she blinked her eyes, she leaped to her paws and looked around in fear. Who had that been?!

"Hey, you mousebrain, didn't you notice how she smells of herbs?!" a dark ginger tom was snarling at the muscular tabby. "You can't attack a medicine cat!"

"Eh, whatever," the tabby growled back. He turned and raced away to leap on another cat.

Shadepool stalked in front of the red tom, her top lip curling back to reveal sharp white teeth. Her tail hung low, the tip twitching in agitation.

"You hurt me!" she snapped. "You terrified me, nearly _dislocated _my shoulder, and...and..." She paused, putting her head to one side as she stared at the green-eyed tom. "And saved my life. Thank you."

The cat grinned and blinked his eyes. "Ah, it was nothing," he meowed. "Although, it might've been something, considering it was for a LeafClanner." His voice was tinged with wry amusement, and he smirked.

Shadepool narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes..." she replied slowly. "For a LeafClanner." She hesitated to ask the next question. "What's your name?"

"Name's Redclaw, kitten." He looked her up and down, a purr rumbling from him. "And you?"

For a second, Shadepool wondered if she should tell him. After all, he was a NightClan cat, and LeafClan and NightClan had never been cozy friends. But she decided that if this _Redclaw _had been nice enough to save her from that tabby warrior's claws, it was okay.

"I-I'm Shadepool," she stammered, looking down at her paws uncomfortably. "I just became the new Clan medicine cat...because Sparrowpelt passed away." She didn't meet the tom's eyes as she spoke of her dead mentor.

Redclaw lifted his head. "Well, nice to meet ya, Shadepool. I'm sorry about Sparrowpelt."

"Yes, nice to meet you too." Shadepool nodded in acknowledgment at Redclaw's comment about Sparrowpelt. Studying her paws again, she realized suddenly that they were draped with leaves; she had managed somehow to hook some of the dock with her claw when the ginger warrior had tackled her. But they were crumpled and useless now. She sighed in disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Redclaw asked, ducking his head so he could see her face.

Still not meeting his gaze, Shadepool replied, "Oh, I've ruined my dock leaves. I need dock for the Clan's scratches..."

Redclaw was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Well, I know a place in NightClan territory where there's loads of dock," he told her. "I could get you some if you'd like."

Shadepool looked to the side, only just remembering that they were right at the edge of a battle as she saw the flying fur and claws. She turned back and continued to stare at the ground.

"Do you have a neck problem, kitten?" Redclaw asked, his voice pricking with amusement.

Shadepool suppressed a laugh and forced her smile away. "Um...no," she replied in a cracking whisper. "I just..."

Redclaw purred. "I understand," he meowed. "I can go get you that dock now, if you really need some."

For the first time, she looked up at the tom's face without hesitance. "Yes, that would be kind," she answered him. "Shall I come with you?"

"No, it'd probably be best if you stayed here." Redclaw glanced over at where the NightClan leader, Graystar, was giving Mudstar a blow to the shoulder. Mudstar returned the blow by scoring his claws across his rival's face and bowling him over to the ground. Shadepool rolled her eyes at the fighting toms; so unnecessarily competitive with one another. "If you were caught on our land, Graystar would have your tail—and mine too, most likely," the red warrior finished.

She turned back to Redclaw. "All right, I'll wait here and restack the other herbs I brought. There's an entrance at the back of the hollow you can sneak out of." She pointed with her nose at where she and the rest of her patrol had attacked from.

Redclaw nodded. "Oh, and no offense, but I'll be back to shred the fur off your Clanmates." With an amused smirk, he raced over to the fox-entrance and bolted out. She could hear his large paws crashing through the leaf-litter as he bounded in the direction of NightClan territory.

Shadepool suddenly wondered if she shouldn't have told him about the back entrance; he could tell Graystar, and the ambitious leader could use it to his advantage. But even after talking to him for only a few moments, she couldn't imagine Redclaw doing that to her Clan. However, no cat could _ever _trust a NightClan warrior. _I guess all I have to rely on now is luck, _she thought to herself. She shrugged and quickly padded over to the mess of herbs, beginning to stack them again as she awaited the tom's return with the dock.

* * *

Redclaw came back after many, many moments. His jaws were filled with dock leaves. He looked around the hollow, which was still alive with battling cats and loud hisses and snarls. All the warriors were beginning to get tired, but they continued fighting without complaint.

Redclaw sprinted over to Shadepool through the fox-entrance and dropped the dock at her paws. "Here you go," he panted, nudging the herbs closer to her.

Shadepool's eyes brightened. "That's _much _more than I needed!" she cried in delight. "Thank you Redclaw, this was fill a whole dip in the medicine den." She picked up the leaves and stacked them next to her other herbs.

Just then, a LeafClan warrior limped wearily over to her. The small tom's white fur was stained with blood, and his ears were drooping. His amber eyes were wide with exhilaration. It was Snowcloud, who had only been in a couple battles before this one.

"Wow," he breathed. "I never knew I could fight like that." His fur bristled with embarrassment as he realized he had just bragged a little.

Shadepool purred. "Yes, you're a fantastic warrior, Snowcloud." She came to his side, guiding him to the piles of herbs and instructing him to lay down. "Where are you wounded?"

Snowcloud looked up at her, barely lifting his head out of exhaustion. "I have a gash on my flank, and I have a lot of scratches." He let his head rest on the cool grass again, not even flinching as Shadepool began to chew the dock slowly, being careful not to swallow any, and rubbed them on the young tom's wounds with gentle force.

Redclaw came up behind her, watching over the black she-cat's shoulder as she applied the herbs. "You have steady paws," he remarked.

Shadepool felt her face become hot with embarrassment. "T-thank you, Redclaw," she stuttered quicker than the twitch of a cat's whiskers. She hated it when cats complimented her; it made her so uneasy. Then she continued to rub the herbs on Snowcloud's scratches. As the white warrior mewed, she realized with a jolt of worry for the tom that she was rubbing too hard. "Oh, I'm sorry Snowcloud," she said quietly.

He blinked. "That's okay. I need to get back into the fight anyway. Thanks for the dock, Shadepool." He got up and shook himself, wincing as the cobwebs tugged at his wounds when they flew off him.

Shadepool brushed his non-wounded shoulder with her tail in farewell as Snowcloud raced back into the whirlwind of battle. But just as he started fighting again, Graystar pulled himself away from Mudstar, ruffled and defeated yet still holding his head high; he was the proudest cat you'd ever meet. "Retreat NightClan, retreat!" he yowled urgently.

The NightClan warriors immediately stopped fighting as they heard their leader's call, and raced away to stand with the large gray tomcat. Graystar turned around and swept his light yellow gaze defiantly over the LeafClan cats. The cold, hate-filled stare finally rested on Mudstar.

"You may have won the battle LeafClan, but you haven't yet won the war," he snarled, his eyes wild with anger. "NightClan will not be defeated so easily. Expect to see more of us, _dear, sweet _brother." His voice dripped with sarcasm like an adder's venom.

Confused murmuring broke out among all the cats. Graystar had just called Mudstar his brother! They looked nothing alike, and had extremely different personalities as well.

_Maybe that's why they're arch enemies now, _Shadepool thought to herself. _Something must have happened, considering they're from different Clans now..._

Mudstar's face was hard and expressionless. He didn't say a word to the other leader, just raised his chin and stared straight at him.

Graystar seemed discouraged, for his whiskers began quivering in the first beginnings of a snarl. But he must've seen no point in saying anything else, because he flicked his tail and led his patrol out of the blood-stained training hollow. The LeafClan warriors watched them go, making sure they crossed the border back into their own territory.

Once they were gone, Shadepool sighed in relief and turned around. She nearly jumped into the sky as she saw that Redclaw was still with her.

"Redclaw!" she yowled a little louder than she had meant to. She quieted her tone. "What are you still doing here? Mudstar will have _your _tail if you don't go after your Clan right now!"

Redclaw grinned. "Just wanted to stay and make sure you'd be fine," he replied truthfully.

"Make sure I'd be fine...?"

"Yeah," he purred. "This whole time you've been acting like you're in shock or something."

Shadepool shuffled her paws nervously. "No, I've just always been terrified of fighting cats. I don't want to get in the middle of it. And today, I did...Thanks again for saving me from that warrior."

Redclaw gave a curt nod, a half smile flashing quickly across his maw. "That was Oakpelt." He rolled his eyes. "He's always looking for the tiniest chance he gets to fight. Sometimes he scares the fresh-kill out of me with how much he enjoys clawing through enemy flesh."

Shadepool winced as she imagined it in her head. She shook it away and sighed. "Well, I'll be okay," she said firmly. "Now go back to your Clan! Graystar's always a bit touchy, and I don't want him suddenly coming up with the theory that you're more loyal to us than them."

"Yeah, that's Graystar for ya," he growled. "He's just a ray of sunshine."

Shadepool held back another burst of laughter; the fact that Graystar was the complete opposite of nice and cheerful made the tomcat's sarcastic remark humorous.

"Well then, I guess it's good-bye for now, Shadepool."

Shadepool nodded vigorously. "Good-bye, Redclaw," she called as the ginger warrior turned and started bounding toward the hollow's entrance.

"See ya later, kitten!"

Shadepool's eyes were round and shining as she watched his tail disappear into the forest. No one else had seemed to notice a NightClan cat had only just left; they were all too busy discussing the battle and resting their tired limbs. She spent another moment staring after the tom, then blinked her eyes and headed over to the small LeafClan patrol to examine the wounds they had received.

* * *

**Awwww. Shadepool met Redclaw, after all that waiting! Well actually, you only had to read through the Prologue, but the people who already read the Prologue had to wait for the next installment. x3 I love how Redclaw calls Shadey "kitten", and I'm so proud of myself for coming up with that. lol. It was originally "sweetie", but I wanted something less creep-ish and more cat-related. Haha! So anyway, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1, and please review! (Remember, I want critique, but no criticism. Just be nice, people! And yes; I'm going to remind you after every chapter. Muahaha. You will sufferrrrrr! Oo)**

**--Poison Rain**


	3. Chapter 2

**Okay, so here's Chappie 2. Sorry it was delayed; I keep forgetting poor Drowning in You! But I always get into it again once I write another chapter. ; )**

**Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**

Chapter 2

"Ow!" Suntail wailed.

Shadepool rolled her eyes. "Oh Suntail, it's just a thorn." She was in the medicine den with the yellow tabby warrior, pulling out a thorn that had been driven into her pad. "If you don't want to feel the itsy bitsy pain of having a thorn taken out of your paw, then don't be careless out on patrol next time!"

Suntail narrowed her eyes at the black medicine cat. "StarClan, what's got _your _fur in mats?" she growled.

"I'm sorry." Shadepool sighed. "It's just that I've been very busy after the battle with NightClan, and I was tending to wounds all last night." All the warriors had been wounded, and they had limped back to camp covered in gashes and cuts, their fur drenched with blood.

Suntail didn't reply, just shrugged and padded out of the den. Shadepool watched her go. She heaved another sigh and turned around to check on her patients. Their breathing wasn't labored anymore; the normal rise and fall of their sides somehow comforted her. They were all well enough to go back to their warrior duties, she supposed, but their wounds would still need some time to heal.

Shadepool began to sort herbs. _What I could really use right now is a medicine cat apprentice, _she thought to herself. Fernpoppy was pregnant, and so perhaps in the future when her kits became apprentices one of them would wish to take her as a mentor. Then her job wouldn't be so hard, and she wouldn't have instances like last night when she felt swallowed up by tasks.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallboulder for a Clan meeting!" Mudstar's yowl rang through the camp, finding its way through the medicine den and to Shadepool's ears. She left her herb-sorting and walked outside, where the rest of the Clan were gathering under the high rock.

Mudstar stood, glancing over as Falcontooth jumped up to sit down beside him. His olive gaze swept over his Clan, and he nodded. "I believe LeafClan is healthier than ever," he purred happily. "As soon as the five cats that were injured in the battle yesterday have healed, we will be strong and completely well again. And then we'll be able to show NightClan that when you mess with LeafClan, it always comes back to haunt you."

Cats began to cheer enthusiastically, but Shadepool just grumbled. Fighting was so overrated. Why couldn't cats just resolve their problems rationally, without any blood being drawn? That was what her mother had taught her; to never fight a battle when you didn't have to...

"Now, onto the patrols," the LeafClan leader went on. "I need a hunting patrol out, and I want another patrol to check the borders—and be extra wary around NightClan's territory." Murmuring arose for a moment. "Falcontooth, you lead the border patrol," he said to the tabby. "Goldenleaf, Iceclaw, Cloudpaw! You will go. And..." He looked around, and finally rested his eyes on the medicine cat. "And Shadepool," he decided. "I think you deserve a little break to get out into the forest. The hunting patrol can wait a bit to be arranged."

Shadepool blinked in gratitude at him and walked over to the camp entrance as the others began to slip away from the group.

"Thank you," Mudstar finished. He leaped off the Tallboulder and headed for the fresh-kill pile.

Falcontooth walked over to the other cats of the patrol. He stopped in front of Shadepool and stared at her for a moment, silent. His gaze, hard as stone and cold as the river in leaf-bare, made Shadepool feel small and vulnerable. She flinched away from his icy stare, hoping he hadn't noticed her brief fear of him. It was as if he was suspicious of her, but if he was she couldn't imagine why; she was StarClan's messenger, for crying out loud!

The tabby tom looked away after a few heartbeats. If anyone else had noticed the tense moment between the deputy and medicine cat, they didn't show any signs of it. Falcontooth just waved his tail and the patrol headed out.

Shadepool raced through the tunnel, rejoicing as wind blew into her face. She parted her jaws to drink in the scents around her; no sign of NightClan right now, just the leaf-mold and humidity of greenleaf.

As the patrol neared the Leaf-Night border, her heart began to pump twice as much. Images of a violent dispute disturbed her thoughts, but she narrowed her eyes and ignored them; who was to say LeafClan and NightClan would attack each other every chance they got? _We might be rivals, but we're not immature mousebrains!_ Her paws thundered on, not missing a beat with the rhythmic thud of the others' feet.

Falcontooth raised his tail as a signal to stop, and the cats halted right in front of the border. Cloudpaw began to sniff around for signs of trespassers, while Falcontooth lifted his hind leg and remarked the invisible line. Goldenleaf and Iceclaw were keeping watch for NightClan patrols. Shadepool just glanced around, unsure of what she could do to help.

Falcontooth, finished with marking, turned around and looked at the others. "All right, let's check around for NightClan scent," he instructed. "Shadepool, you stay here and keep alert for any NightClan cats. They can't attack a medicine cat, so you'd be best for the job."

Shadepool nodded without saying a word. She watched as the others disappeared among the trees and undergrowth, then turned back to stare into NightClan's territory. She kept her ears pricked and her mouth slightly open, but there was no sign of any warriors.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves crunching underpaw made Shadepool jump. There _were _NightClan cats around! What if they had just been waiting for the rest of the patrol to leave her, and now they were going to attack?!

She shook her head, scolding herself for thinking like a kit. It was forbidden to harm a medicine cat. StarClan would be angry at them if they hurt her.

The pawsteps got louder as the cats got closer—but when she listened closely, Shadepool realized it sounded a lot more like _one _pair of paws instead of several. She sighed in relief; it was a single warrior, not a whole patrol. Nevertheless, it would be awkward to confront whoever it was. Medicine cats weren't really masters at being aggressive...

"I am so a warrior." She leaned forward to try and hear the quiet muttering better. "It's not my fault life's too bland. I was just having fun." The voice fell silent, and suddenly a red pelt appeared next to a patch of bushes. The warrior's fur was bristling, his green eyes dark with anger.

"Redclaw?" Shadepool mewed, realizing that the cat was the same ginger tom who had saved her at the training hollow.

Redclaw whipped his head in the direction of the voice. His eyes grew wide as he saw her sitting there, and he bounded over to her. His fur lay flat again, and all signs of anger were lost in his excited expression.

"Shadepool, is that you?" he purred.

Shadepool nodded, blinking. "Yes, it's me," she replied. "Mudstar assigned me to a border patrol, and Falcontooth told me to watch for NightClan warriors while he and the others check for your Clan's scent on our territory." She rolled her eyes, as if it was the stupidest thing ever—which it sort of was. NightClan's goal in life was not to make LeafClan miserable.

Redclaw smirked. "Falcontooth's the big tabby deputy, ain't he?" the red warrior asked. "The one that's so serious all the time?"

"That's the one," she said, laughing. "But you should be quiet; he could be near enough to hear you. And I don't think he trusts me, for whatever reason."

Redclaw grinned. "Well you know, you do have that dangerous look in your eye. _No one_ can trust you, 'cause no one ever knows what you'll do next."

She laughed and twitched her whiskers casually, but inside her heart was beating wildly like a trapped crow. She tried to keep her nervousness, which she always got when she was alone with a tom, out of her eyes. Redclaw didn't seem to notice her fidgety tail sweeping the ground back and forth, the tip twitching rapidly. She was thankful for that, for her tail was probably the easiest way to tell that she was uncomfortable.

"So, how are those warriors that were in the battle?" he went on to ask.

Shadepool searched for words in her head, but when she spoke she sounded normal and as smooth as ever. "They're fine. I'm glad I had so much dock, or else I think I would've lost my mind treating all those scratches."

The two exchanged smiles. Shadepool's heart fluttered; the way they looked at each other at the mention of the amount of dock she had made it seem like they had a secret, inside knowledge that just the two of them understood—even if it was something as stupid as dock leaves.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" an angry voice suddenly spat from behind them.

She whirled around to see Falcontooth stalking out of the bushes, followed by Goldenleaf, Cloudpaw, and Iceclaw. The dark tabby glared at first Redclaw, then her; they were so cold and furious, his amber eyes, it felt like they were shredding into her soul. The stare flicked away from her for just a moment as the LeafClan deputy watched a mouse skitter by, Cloudpaw chasing after it and holding his head up with the tiny limp body in his jaws.

Shadepool smiled. "Good work, Cloudpaw," she praised him.

Falcontooth narrowed his eyes and walked up to her. "Don't try to change the subject," he growled. "What are you doing talking with _him?_" He said the last word with scorn as he directed his gaze to Redclaw.

Shadepool stepped back, ready to defend the NightClan warrior. After all, they hadn't been doing anything wrong; was talking to cats from other Clans against the warrior code? Obviously not.

"We were just having light conversation, Falcontooth," she told him hotly. "No need to get your tail in a knot."

Goldenleaf giggled, but fell silent just at the flick of the deputy's ear. Shadepool found it extremely unnecessary for the Clan to think so much of a rude furball like Falcontooth.

He continued to glare at Redclaw, not even flinching as the red tom's top lip curled back and he unsheathed his claws in readiness.

"You shouldn't have been talking to her!" Falcontooth snarled, walking toward the NightClan warrior. "You're a tom, she's a she-cat, and you're from different Clans. I know what you're up to, and you should just back off now before you get your pelt clawed off by our Clan as well as your own!"

Redclaw's eyes glimmered. "Aw, is someone jealous that their little crush likes to talk to me?"

Falcontooth didn't move. He spoke with an eerie calmness. "It's not your place to say that. I am more committed to my Clan and my duty as the deputy than having a mate."

He and Redclaw stared at each other, rocks for eyes. They didn't even move their whiskers. Silence hung around the border, making Goldenleaf work the ground with her paws, and Iceclaw turn his head at every sound in hopes of finding an excuse to leave. Shadepool just glared at Falcontooth, although he didn't realize it.

"Ha. Falcontooth said doody."

All heads turned to Cloudpaw, who suddenly looked very embarrassed and started shuffling his paws.

"Well, he did!"

Everyone except Falcontooth began to laugh; the tabby was looking as serious as ever, as if he was incapable of smiling. He turned back to Redclaw and bared his teeth. "This isn't over. I'll be reporting this to Mudstar so he can announce it at the next Gathering. Shadepool, it's time to go back to camp." His tail brushed across her face as he turned away.

She looked at Redclaw and sighed. "I'm sorry about all this," she murmured low enough for only the ginger tom to hear. "Falcontooth is always like that. But if I hadn't called your name in the first place—"

"It wasn't your fault," he insisted, cutting her off. "Falcontooth is just a grouch. No need to be sorry or anything." He smiled slightly.

Shadepool gave a curt nod. "Well, good-bye then. Perhaps we'll see each other at the Gathering, if you end up going."

Redclaw purred. "Yup, maybe we will. So long, k—" He stopped himself from saying "kitten" as he caught Falcontooth glaring at them next to the bushes from which he had emerged a little while ago. "Bye," he chose instead, sounding angered. Then, with one last quick glance at the medicine cat, he jumped around and bounded out of sight.

Shadepool growled as she heard Falcontooth's call, but walked over to join the others without complaint. She didn't speak to the LeafClan deputy, just walked right past him and fell into place beside Goldenleaf. The sun-colored tabby passed her a knowing glance, but didn't say anything.

Half-way back to camp, Shadepool remembered that she needed more juniper berries. She skidded to a stop, icily informing Falcontooth. Though he looked suspicious, he let her go. She sighed in relief once she was far away from the patrol, and began to look for juniper bushes.

"Shadepool!" someone called in a loud whisper.

She whirled on her heels to see none other than Redclaw trotting toward her. He seemed nervous and jittery, which he had every right to be considering he was on another Clan's territory, risking having his throat slit by Falcontooth.

"Redclaw, what in the name of StarClan are you doing here?!" Shadepool growled in the same loud whisper, even though Falcontooth and the rest of the border patrol were probably nearing camp by now.

"I wanted to tell you back at the border, but I didn't have time or else I might've gotten into another verbal scrap with your deputy," he replied in an amused voice.

Shadepool gave a breathy laugh, then sat down. "Well, all right. What is it you want to tell me?" She noticed her tail was starting to get fidgety again, and tried her best to calm it down.

Redclaw sat beside her. "I just...I just wanted to tell you that I really like talking to you, even though we barely know each other and we've only had two poor excuses for conversations." He smiled, but it was gone in a heartbeat; he looked serious, which was strange for a cat like him. "I'm going to have to tell Graystar about what happened at the border; I feel disloyal when I don't tell him things he should know, like what happened between you, me, and Falcontooth. After that, he probably won't let me go to the Gathering—he's even worse than Falcontooth. And who knows how long it'll be before we see each other again if we don't plan a time?"

Shadepool put her head to the side. "And you would be saying...?"

"Would you please meet me at the creek after the Gathering?"

Shadepool looked taken aback. She hesitated before she replied. "Well...that's on NightClan territory," she answered carefully. "We'd be in big trouble if we were found meeting each other, let alone on territory that belongs to your Clan."

Redclaw looked disappointed. "Please? I don't know when I'll see you again."

Shadepool narrowed her eyes, looking at him in suspicion now. "And why would that matter?" she asked. "We're from different Clans, and I'm a medicine cat. Maybe Falcontooth was right; maybe you _are_...well, you know."

"I just like talking to you. That's all, honestly!" the tom pressed. "It seems like you're the only one I can speak to easily, without being judged on every little thing. It's like you understand me in a way nobody else does, even though we only just met yesterday. You listen to me, which is more than I can say for my mate."

Shadepool was intrigued as well as flattered by what Redclaw was saying to her, but she was just plain surprised when he spoke of a mate. Her eyes grew from slits to two full moons, filled with shock.

"You have a mate?" she asked quietly. She didn't honestly know why she was so interested in the fact that the NightClan warrior had fallen in love. Maybe she was the slightest bit disappointed. No, she couldn't even thinkthat; Shadepool was a medicine cat, and she was loyal to her Clan and her work. But the thought that she couldn't even take a mate from her _own _Clan slightly saddened her. Why couldn't medicine cats love? They were not deprived of that emotion. It wasn't right...

"Yes. That tabby, Brackenfoot," Redclaw finally replied after several heartbeats. "We have a son named Thrushkit."

There was an awkward silence, but Shadepool soon broke it. "Well, congratulations. I'm very happy for the two of you."

"Thank you, Shadepool. But you didn't answer my question; will you meet me at the creek?"

Shadepool flinched. She had been hoping that wouldn't come up again, and now she had no choice but to reply. There was nothing left to say to try and get out of it.

_No, it will only lead to trouble. _"Yes, of course I'll meet you there. After the Gathering, right?"

Redclaw nodded, brightening. "Well then, I guess I'll see you there," he meowed. "Bye, kitten!" He turned around and headed off toward his own territory.

After he was gone, Shadepool thought about what she had agreed to. She knew meeting him in secrecy wasn't a good idea; if they were caught, many cats would get the wrong thoughts, and she didn't want her Clan to think she had betrayed them. It was very risky—she didn't know why she hadn't just told him the truth, that she was afraid of the consequences and would rather not go—but now she would have to meet him there. She knew where the creek was, and as she began to walk back to camp many plans of how she could get there without being seen unraveled in her head.

* * *

Shadepool slipped through the leafy tunnel, glad to be back in the camp after everything that had happened. The clearing was quiet; most of the warriors were napping in their dens now that evening had fallen, and it seemed as if Mudstar had sent out more than one hunting patrol.

She started to pad toward the medicine den, but Falcontooth stepped in front of her—it was as if he had appeared out of thin air—and blocked her path. His amber eyes gleamed, yet at the same time looked angry.

"Couldn't find any juniper berries?" he sneered.

With a jolt, Shadepool realized that she had forgotten to look for the berries after she had finished talking with Redclaw. Coming home empty-pawed would give Falcontooth the ultimate opportunity to make accusations.

"No, I couldn't," she replied levelly, looking him up and down. "And who's business is that? Certainly not yours."

She shoved him aside with her shoulder and continued on her way to her den, but Falcontooth stopped her again before she had taken more than five steps.

"Getting a little defensive, aren't we?" He smirked, but it vanished just as soon as it had appeared. "What were you doing that you don't want me to know about, Shadepool? Tell me!"

Shadepool suddenly wished that there were more cats in the clearing to notice Falcontooth harassing her, but there was only a small apprentice off in a shady corner, and a couple kits tussling outside the nursery. They didn't seem to notice her and Falcontooth one bit.

"Once again: none...of your...business. Now move out of my way so I can get to my den!"

But Falcontooth didn't budge. "You're hiding something, Shadepool. Were you with that NightClan cat? I know you were. I can see it in your eyes; you're feeling guilty about something, something more than just talking with a _tom _from another Clan."

Shadepool bared her teeth and lashed a sheathed paw at him. "I was not with Redclaw, thank you very much!" she snarled. She felt the skin beneath her fur turn hot with embarrassment as the apprentice glanced over at her, its face stricken with surprise at the usually shy, quiet she-cat's tone.

"So his name's Redclaw, is it?" Falcontooth went on. "I guess that's an appropriate name—considering he probably gets his own blood on his claws when he tries to attack someone."

Shadepool thrust her face into the deputy's and curled her lip back to reveal her sharp white teeth. "You have no reason to insult him. It's not his fault you're an overly-sensitive jerk!"

"If you want me to keep this knowledge to myself, I suggest you stop insulting _me,_" Falcontooth growled. "You were with that Redclaw cat, I know it, and I know what the both of you are up to. You better just end it right now before it goes too far, Shadepool. I'll be watching you, and if I see you do anything suspicious, I'll have to put an end to it myself."

Shadepool didn't leave his gaze even to blink. "Watch me tremble," she hissed scornfully. "I have nothing to be afraid of, because Redclaw and I _aren't _up to anything. You know, it's not impossible for cats from other Clans, whether they're tom and she-cat or not, to just be normal friends."

She didn't wait for Falcontooth's reply. Without another word, Shadepool brushed past him and headed for the medicine den again. She scowled as the tom began to talk again behind her.

"Go get ready for your beauty sleep, princess," he called. "You'll need to be up and ready tomorrow morning to put dock on my worst scratches again."

That did it. Shadepool whirled around and yowled furiously, not caring that she had alerted the apprentice and frightened the two playing kits.

"Listen, you pathetic—" She stopped herself. She had to handle this calmly, but still make him realize she wasn't just spouting off. "You may be deputy, and you can think whatever you want about me in general, but you still have to honor and respect me as your medicine cat. Therefore, you have no right to be speaking to me like that! If you paid any attention to the things we've lived by for ages, you'd remember that medicine cats don't share the same Clan rivalries that normal warriors have."

For a moment Falcontooth looked shocked, and Shadepool felt satisfaction gnaw at her stomach. But to her great disappointment, the tom's maw twisted into an amused grin. "Just stick to that story," he jeered. "Medicine cats don't share the same Clan rivalries that normal warriors have? I gotta hand it to ya, that's a pretty good excuse." Before she could reply, he walked away and vanished into the warriors' den.

Shadepool shook with rage. She had never known such an infuriating cat. Sighing, she too retreated to her den. She was glad to see all the nests empty when she walked inside; no wounds to treat tonight. She could just lie down in her nest and relax.

It wasn't night yet; she would stay awake to sort herbs and make notes of what she needed to stock up on later. But right now, she just needed to close her eyes and block out the rest of the world—just for a moment.

* * *

**Ergh, I hate Falcontooth so much, but he's such a fun character to write about. He plays a big part in the story, but I will not say anymore. : ) I think I talked a little too much about the movement and expression in their eyes, but oh well. Haha. I can't wait to start on the chapter when Shadepool and Redclaw meet at the creek - and I bet it was pretty surprising to find out he actually has a mate, huh? Heehee. Please review, my dear kind readers. x3**


	4. Chapter 3

**Oh em gee, I am sooo sorry everyone! My computer crashed, so I didn't get a chance to write Chapter 3 for a while. And all the other DiY files on my compy were gone when it crashed, but luckily I had already uploaded them to the site, so I could just copy and paste them into Microsoft Word when we got our new computer. ;) Btw, like my new name? Maplecloud. It's my new warrior name. Heehee. Anyway, here's Chappie 3. **

* * *

Chapter 3

The full moon cast pale light upon the forest. Inside the LeafClan camp, cats were getting ready for the Gathering. Mudstar had chosen Moonfur, Brackenstream, Iceclaw, Pantherfoot, and Ravenpaw to accompany him, Falcontooth, and Shadepool to the truce-held meeting.

Shadepool, finished with all a medicine cat's chores for now, was now lying in her mossy nest. As she waited for Mudstar's call to leave, she thought about the past couple of days—and of her acceptance to meet Redclaw after the Gathering. She would be going behind her Clan's back, and would most likely end up having to lie to them. Didn't that mean she was doing something wrong? But another part of herself said it wasn't wrong at all; she was simply meeting with a cat. What was so bad about that? Just because her Clanmates wouldn't know about it, didn't make it _wrong._

"Shadepool, it's time to go!"

Shadepool looked up as she heard Ravenpaw's voice from the den entrance. The black apprentice was peering inside, yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"Oh...um, all right. Thank you, Ravenpaw." She rose and stretched, following the young tom as he jogged back to the group of cats ready to leave. Falcontooth was looking as irritated as ever, while Mudstar was nodding at her in greeting. With a wave of his tail, the small party began to slip out through the leafy tunnel. Shadepool ran after them, quickly becoming shoulder-to-shoulder with the LeafClan deputy.

Falcontooth kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye; she could feel his gaze burning into her like white-hot fire. Shadepool inwardly snorted at how watchful he was being of her, when he was not her father or her brother—he wasn't her kin of any sort! He had no reason to keep an eye on her, or to be suspicious at all. Did he really think that doing nothing more than just talking with the NightClan tom made her disloyal?

_But I'm _not_ just talking with him, _she reminded herself with a wave of guilt. But Shadepool refused to feel guilty over what Falcontooth thought of her. Though worry clawed at her stomach like a giant paw, she wasn't going to back out of meeting with Redclaw; that would just validate that she let Falcontooth have power over her, and she wouldn't let him feel any satisfaction. He didn't deserve to feel like he'd come out on top.

With so many apprehensive thoughts swimming inside her head, Shadepool had failed to realize that her paws were aching from running across the ground longer than her crowded mind had let her notice. But now, as the large clearing the Gathering was held in came within sight, she could feel exhaustion inching nearer. She blinked in relief when Mudstar stopped, and the rest of the group halted behind their leader.

Mudstar quickly examined the moonlit clearing, then led the group inside. Shadepool exhaled half in stress and half in relaxation to be feeling the cool grass beneath her paws.

There were cats sitting around in small groups talking, apprentices playing, and two warriors teasingly fighting over a mouse. Shadepool always felt claustrophobic at the Gathering, closed in by the many felines. It, in a way, represented her view on life; like she was trapped within her loyalty to her Clan and her duty as a medicine cat, always feeling guilty about things and trying but not succeeding to come up for air. She tried to tell herself she was being silly, and forming something as simple and normal as the Gathering into something much more dramatic. She couldn't really be that self-surrounded, could she? Shadepool sighed again and gratefully sat down.

"Shadepool!" someone called.

Shadepool jumped and jerked her head to the side. Her heart began to pound nervously at the thought that it might be Redclaw—but it turned out to just be Spottedstream from RainClan. She and the she-cat had sort of been friends, you could say, since half-way into their apprenticehood.

Spottedstream began to bound toward her, tail swaying in the air. Shadepool got up and walked to meet her.

"Hello, Spottedstream," she greeted, touching noses with her friend. "How's the prey running?"

Spottedstream purred and sat down in front of the medicine cat. Shadepool too eased into a sitting position.

"RainClan has been fine, thank you," the tortoiseshell replied. "Our river is a bit higher than usual, from that time about a moon ago when it rained a lot."

Shadepool remembered that vividly. The rain hadn't stopped for three days straight, and in response to the weather the river RainClan was known for rose so much that there was a small flood. Luckily, the rain had stopped in the evening of the third day, and the flood had only caused the ground to become muddy, and for some fresh-kill to be ruined. It must not have been sunny enough in the moon to follow, since Spottedstream was now saying it still hadn't gone back to normal level.

"And you?" Spottedstream interrupted Shadepool's thinking. "Do you have a good store of herbs?"

Shadepool nodded. "Yes, I'd like to think I've been doing quite well herb-wise, and there haven't been any serious injuries in the Clan since...Sparrowpelt." She frowned.

The tortoiseshell's eyes widened in concern. "Sparrowpelt?" she inquired. "What happened; is he all right?" She began to look around, returning her gaze to Shadepool with a confused expression. "Where exactly is Sparrowpelt?"

Shadepool stared down at her paws. She didn't want to answer that question...

Looking up again, she forced a weak smile. "Um, he's...his wounds haven't healed yet," she lied. "I had to come in his place." She couldn't bear to tell her friend that Sparrowpelt was dead. He had been like family to the she-cat, for when she was an apprentice, he saved her from drowning in the river when he and Shadepool had been gathering roots from the border. After that, he would assist her in her training every chance he got even though he didn't know much about being a warrior, and would always be looking out for her. They were very close—after the river incident, Sparrowpelt treated her like kin—and that was how she and Shadepool came to be friends.

"Oh, that's too bad," Spottedstream mewed. "I hope he'll be okay."

Shadepool looked away. "Yes...I'm sure he's fine." She looked back at the RainClan cat nervously. "I-I mean, I'm sure he'll _be _fine," she corrected herself. Deep down, Shadepool knew that in the end the truth would come out and Spottedstream would know the tom was dead. But for now, she wanted the she-cat to believe he was still alive. She didn't want to be the one to break Spottedstream's kind heart.

"May all cats in the clearing join beneath the Great Birch, and this Gathering shall begin."

Shadepool and Spottedstream turned their heads to the large, thick birch tree in the center of the clearing; the leaders spoke from its branches, and the deputies sat at the base of the white-and-black tree.

The two she-cats followed the rest of the cats to the Great Birch and sat down. It had been Goldenstar, the GrassClan leader, who had called from her seat, so she stepped forward to speak first.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Gathering," the golden tabby began. Her light blue eyes were soft and kind; Shadepool had always liked the gentle she-cat. "GrassClan has been doing well," she reported happily. "The prey has been running fine, no more but no less, and I think we're finally rid of that herd of horses."

Shadepool remembered one Gathering she had attended with Sparrowpelt a few moons ago, when the GrassClan leader had reported that a group of wild horses had invaded their territory and trampled two cats that had tried to chase them away.

"Our whole Clan worked together to drive them out this time," Goldenstar continued, "and we prevailed—however, we did lose one cat..."

The GrassClan cats bowed their heads sorrowfully.

"We will miss Cloudfur terribly. He was a great warrior, and very loyal to GrassClan."

All the other cats crouched and hung their heads respectfully, as tradition asked them to whenever a death was reported at the Gathering. They rose back up to sit when Goldenstar took a step back, finishing.

It was Mudstar who decided to speak next. He looked down at the crowd of cats.

"LeafClan has very similar news," he meowed. "Our prey has been running well, and our Clan is perfectly healthy"—he jerked his olive gaze toward Graystar and narrowed his eyes, then returned to speaking to the cats below—"but we have a fox somewhere on our territory, and...we have a death to speak of as well."

Shadepool froze. She hadn't thought about the fact that Mudstar would report Sparrowpelt's death, and she had told Spottedstream he was alive! She would feel terrible after the RainClan she-cat found out.

Spottedstream looked at her with sad eyes. "Oh no, who died?" she asked worriedly.

Shadepool decided to tell her now, before her leader got the chance. "Um...I'm very sorry, Spottedstream, but—"

"Sparrowpelt has joined StarClan," Mudstar cut her off.

Spottedstream's green gaze was horrified. She whipped her head back to Shadepool. "But you told me that his wounds just haven't healed!" she mewed in a loud whisper.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you," Shadepool gushed, trying to maintain a whisper at the same level of Spottedstream's. "I know how close you and Sparrowpelt were, and I'm sorry, I really am. But I didn't want to be the one to tell you, and...and I'm sorry!"

Spottedstream still didn't look angry—more like hurt. "I believe that you're sorry," she replied, "but that still doesn't change the fact that you..." She hesitated; Shadepool knew that the tortoiseshell didn't like conflict, especially when she was taking part in it.

"If you're about done, Shadepool and Spottedstream."

They gasped quietly and looked up at the Great Birch again, where Mudstar was staring down at them in amusement.

"You can continue gossiping soon," he purred.

Shadepool felt her fur become hot with embarrassment, and Spottedstream was studying her paws. At least Mudstar had broken up their argument, but now she felt like she was too afraid to even have an awkward conversation with one of her friends. She was brave...wasn't she?

"A fox took Sparrowpelt's life," Mudstar continued sullenly. "We will honor him forever, even more now that he is one of our warrior ancestors."

All the cats shifted into the same crouching position, their heads low to the ground, as they briefly mourned the lost life.

Mudstar mewed, signaling for them to raise their heads again. The movement into a sit went through the crowd like wind through grass.

"As you know, Sparrowpelt was our medicine cat. His death means that Shadepool is LeafClan's new healer."

All eyes turned to the black she-cat. Shadepool felt her neck fur rise, and saw nothing but her paws. But the uncomfortable moment was over quickly, and Mudstar sat back down. Nodding at him curtly, the RainClan leader, Snowstar, came forward next.

"Well, there isn't much to report in RainClan," she meowed. "Our prey is running well; better than ever, actually. The rain from one moon ago made our river quite high, if you can remember. It's lower now, though not by much, and I think fresh rainwater coming and going filtered our river, so now much more fish is coming to the water." She stepped back and sat down, a smile on her maw; it _did _sound like RainClan was doing well.

Lastly, it was Graystar's turn to speak. The large tom took one step forward, amber eyes glinting.

"NightClan is doing fine," he reported. "Our prey source is normal and our warriors are stronger than ever." He shot a challenging glare at Mudstar. "We're doing _quite _fine."

Mudstar stared back at him levelly. "Well, that's good to hear, Graystar," he replied calmly.

Shadepool's blue eyes shone with respect for her leader. She knew that he was just dying to leap at the NightClan tom and tear him to shreds, but he was keeping in mind the truce that bound every Gathering, and knew that it was best for everyone if he kept war as far away as he could.

"Then I guess the Gathering's over," Goldenstar mewed. She leaped off the Great Birch and summoned the GrassClan cats.

One by one, the three other leaders did the same. After Snowstar padded away, Mudstar and Graystar took a moment to glare at each other with burning eyes. But without a word, the LeafClan and NightClan leaders turned and went their separate ways.

"All right, LeafClan, let's head out!" Mudstar called above the noise in the crowd. It was usually right as cats were being called to head home that a lot of talking occurred between the Clans.

Shadepool gasped quietly as she caught sight of Redclaw weaving his way through the throng of cats. Inwardly, she was telling herself over and over to follow her Clan's group and be out of the ginger tom's sight, but she felt like she was rooted to the ground. After a moment that seemed to last for a moon, she made to leave—but too little too late.

"Shadepool!" Redclaw's voice called.

Shadepool turned back around to see him running eagerly toward her. She half-expected him to bowl her over to the ground, but the tom skidded to a stop before that happened.

"Oh. Hello, Redclaw," she mewed in a voice as calm as she could force.

"Hey, kitten," he greeted back. "Sorry about Sparrowpelt. The past three times I've seen you, I didn't even think to wonder where he was. But congratulations on being the new medicine cat." He smiled briefly.

Shadepool nodded in return. "Thank you," she mumbled. "Yes...I'll miss him a lot, but now it's my responsibility to look after the Clan like he did." She made herself look up at Redclaw's face. His green eyes were sparkling, containing the same fire she always saw in him.

"So, I guess I'll see you whenever," he purred knowingly, blinking.

Shadepool jumped as Falcontooth suddenly thrust his way past her and glared into Redclaw's eyes.

"You won't see her tomorrow or the day after or _ever!_" he hissed. "You'll leave her alone if you know what's good for you."

Redclaw bared his teeth and took a step back. "I think that's for her to decide. Catch ya later, Shadepool."

Without giving her—or Falcontooth—a chance to say anything, he turned and bounded away to join his departing group.

Almost as soon as he was gone, Falcontooth rounded on Shadepool.

"You said you two weren't up to anything," he growled. "So what was that?"

When she looked into the tabby's eyes and saw only hatred and rage, Shadepool wasn't set on winning a dispute; she was afraid.

"T-that wasn't anything!" she promised. "We were just talking. You saw!"

Falcontooth curled his lip back. "Yeah, I saw all I needed to see. Now let's get out of here."

"Why do you always overreact like this?" Shadepool dared to ask.

Falcontooth took a heavy step toward her, making the she-cat gasp. "I'm not overreacting," he replied angrily. "You're just understating. I find it hard to believe all that's between you and Redclaw is a few conversations."

As he walked away, Shadepool found herself quivering. Never before had she been truly scared of Falcontooth, but right then she realized she had reason to be.

Spottedstream must've noticed her shaking, for she rushed over to the medicine cat with wide eyes.

"Great StarClan, Shadepool. Are you all right?" she mewed worriedly.

Shadepool nodded. "Yes, I-I'm fine. I just...I just need to get back to camp."

Spottedstream maintained her concerned expression. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Goodbye, Spottedstream."

Though the tortoiseshell didn't look convinced, she let Shadepool walk away.

* * *

As she and the cats from her Clan walked back to camp, Shadepool had told them she needed to search for burdock root—which she truly did need. That prevented Falcontooth from being suspicious, and Mudstar let her go.

Shadepool's eyes were wide with nervousness every step of the way. She couldn't shake the feeling that she and Redclaw would be caught together, and both of them would be marked off as traitors. Would StarClan believe it too? What would Sparrowpelt think of her? She would let him down...He'd lose all faith in her.

_No, Shadepool! _she inwardly spat at herself. _Why do you put these things into your head? Nothing bad will happen._

But it was too late for her to believe that; her heart was beating a hundred times a second, and she felt like she would be sick with anxiety. _I'm sorry, Redclaw. I just can't take it!_

Guilt was now mixed with the worry she was already feeling, but Shadepool ignored it as she turned back around and raced home.

* * *

**Okay, I hope you enjoyed the third edition to Drowning in You. :) I'm gonna upload a list of the allegiances, too. At first I thought I wouldn't need to, but the idea's been nagging at me for quite some time. Haha. Also, I made a video dedicated to the story and put it on YouTube. Go to the site and search xxWarriorCatFreakxx. It'll be called "Drowning in You Preview." But if you can't find the vid, just go to my channel (YouTube profile) by clicking on my username and watch it there. All righty then. See ya!**

**Maplecloud**


	5. Chapter 4

**Wow, I think this is the soonest I've ever submitted a chapter following the previous one. xD Enjoy Chapter 4! **

Chapter 4

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The sound of rain pattering on leaves woke Shadepool the next morning. She grumbled as drops of water began falling onto her nose and hauled herself up. With a yawn, she glanced outside the medicine den to check the sky. But it was impossible to tell the time of day, for all that met her eyes was gray blotted out with clouds ofmore dull hues.

Shadepool sighed and padded reluctantly out of her den. She felt like she could sleep for moons; why had the dispute with NightClan had to come only one day after she had taken on all of Sparrowpelt's responsibilities? She was exhausted from taking care of so many cats in just the past two days; they would complain about their half-healed wounds from the battle acting up, or fresh cuts from plants out in the forest. And of course she had her normal herb-gathering to do, and everyday injuries such as thorns in paws or sprained legs.

_Herb-gathering, _she suddenly thought to herself. That day when she had gone out on patrol, and on their way back to camp had left the group to look for juniper berries, she had come back without what she'd been originally looking for because of Redclaw's surprise interruption. She would need to go back out to look for the plants she needed to stock up on: the berries, burdock root, and comfrey.

Shadepool stared wistfully out the camp entrance. Though she longed to stretch her stiff limbs and run through the forest, yet at the same time wanted to curl up and go back to sleep, the rain was heavy. Her black pelt was plastered against her body from the wet, and the rain was coming down even harder than when she had woken up a few moments ago—then, it had been strong enough to slightly break through the ceiling of the medicine den and dampen Shadepool's nose.

"Um...Shadepool?" someone mewed.

Shadepool looked to the side at Whitepaw, a young she-cat.

"You know you're standing in the middle of a puddle, right?"

She gasped and leaped out of the paw-high water, shivering. Shadepool hated when her thoughts were so consuming that she lost her focus on the rest of the world around her. It made her feel uneasy inside.

Whitepaw smiled sweetly and padded away. Shadepool knew she must have just made herself look like a fool—and probably to more of her Clan than only the snowy apprentice—but she dismissed it.

Making up her mind, she headed for the leafy tunnel. She briefly glanced at Falcontooth, washing himself under a tall bush, before slipping out into the forest.

Fighting the instinct to raise her head so no water would enter her nostrils, Shadepool scented carefully. All she could smell, however, was the thick rain. How would she ever find herbs in _this _weather?

Nevertheless, she continued walking, head low so her eyes would be shielded.

Soon, the silhouette of a large tree became visible amongst the mist and thundering droplets. This, Shadepool knew, was the Scratched Oak; a great place for finding catmint, which she didn't actually need, but...

She glanced in the direction of the NightClan border. The feisty red warrior crept into her thoughts, his green eyes as bright and lively as ever. A pang of guilt hit her heart; what if Redclaw was truly hurt because she had stood him up?

_Why am I even here anyway?! _she snapped at herself. _I don't need catmint, and I don't need Redclaw!_

Determined to rid her mind of the tom forever, she whirled around in a huff and began to trot off toward a path that led to a clump of juniper bushes.

"Shadepool, wait!"

The black she-cat froze. _No, not again..._She felt even more awful not wanting to see who she knew the voice belonged to after deciding not to meet him; it made her feel cowardly and rotten.

"Shadepool! Just...just turn around. Please."

Slowly, she obeyed and turned to face the cat. Sure enough, Redclaw met her eyes, standing at his border. She walked over to him uncomfortably, sighing once she stood in front of the NightClan cat.

"What is it, Redclaw?" she asked him sharply. She knew that she would sound defensive, and that would make it easy to believe that she was feeling guilty about what she'd done—and she was!

Redclaw hesitated, not leaving her gaze. "I just want to talk to you—"

"As you always do," Shadepool cut him off teasingly. She smirked.

Redclaw returned the smile briefly, but he didn't seem to want to joke around like he usually did. "Why, Shadepool?" he asked in a voice just loud enough to be above a whisper. "Why'd you do it?"

Shadepool opened and closed her maw repeatedly, unsure of how she should answer this. She _knew _why she had done it, but how could she admit to a cat so brave and rebellious as Redclaw that she was too afraid to do even one thing behind her Clan's back?

Finally, she decided on something: "I...I-I'm sorry, Redclaw. I wasn't intending to hurt you in any way. I'm just...I'm scared." She tore her blue eyes from her paws and met the tom's face.

"Scared of what?" Redclaw looked puzzled.

"Of being called a traitor," she replied truthfully. "Of being caught and viewed as disloyal to my Clan."

Redclaw sighed. "Shadepool, you have _got _to stop caring so much about what others think of you!" he hissed gently. "You are you, simple as that. No matter what you do, and no matter how other cats see you, you are Shadepool, LeafClan's medicine cat—and you're _loyal_ to LeafClan, no doubt." He continued to hold the she-cat's gaze, never drifting once. "If your Clanmates know you at all, they would _never _call you a traitor."

For a moment, the two cats just stared at each other unblinking. Shadepool felt like everything froze in midair, in mid-motion, right then as she stared into Redclaw's eyes.

"But that's just it," she finally whispered.

Redclaw blinked at last. "What's 'it'?"

Another moment passed before Shadepool was able to reply.

"They _don't _know me."

The tom frowned. "Well, of course they do," he insisted. "They're your Clan, your blood. They're practically kin."

She shook her head regretfully. "None of them know me. They all _think _they do, you see...but they don't. They are so far away from knowing who I am."

He didn't say anything. _She _didn't say anything. As silence hung in the air between them, time seemed to stop once more. Until Redclaw finally lowered his gaze, looking thoughtful, and then looked back up at her.

"Follow me," he meowed curtly. He instantly turned around and began jogging away.

It took a couple heartbeats for Shadepool to realize what had just happened, since Redclaw always seemed to be in a rush. Which was ironic, really, for when he was with her it seemed he was holding something back; like he was actually _trying_ to take things much slower than the rest of his life.

Curiosity pricking at her pelt, she bounded after him, following his scent until the tomcat's flame-colored fur came into view. He was trotting a fairly slow pace, then suddenly hurtled forward and began racing across the turf. Shadepool quickly switched to the same speed and bolted after him.

"Where are we going?!" she called above the wind roaring in her ears as she ran.

"Sorry, can't tell!" Redclaw yowled back.

Shadepool grinned in amusement and continued to follow him. She was aware that she had crossed over into NightClan territory, but she knew that it wasn't forbidden for medicine cats to go onto other Clans' land as long as they had a reason—but right now, she didn't care that she hadn't one good reason. All she cared about right then, right there, was racing along with Redclaw's fur brushing against hers.

* * *

After it felt like they'd been running for ages, though in reality it had only been a little while, Redclaw began to slow down. He shifted into the same pace he'd started out with, Shadepool doing the same.

"Okay, we're almost there," he told her, finally halting. "It's past those trees over there." He directed the she-cat with his nose to an entrance of the vine-like branches of willow trees. The two willows' smooth trunks were curved; the trees looked almost identical, despite the fact that their curves were facing different ways.

_So that it almost forms a heart shape..._Shadepool noticed in her mind. What strange things the earth could create.

Redclaw led her to the entrance of the place. She felt her neck fur bristle whenever his flank pressed against hers as they walked. Once they were standing right in front of the heart-shaped opening, he nudged her forward.

"You do the honors," he purred.

Shadepool nodded and pushed through the vines. Her eyes immediately lit up.

It was a glade—a beautiful glade, though it would've looked even better if the sun was in the sky rather than dark clouds. A small, glassy pond sat at the far end of the grassy clearing. Shadepool paused for a few heartbeats to watch the raindrops bounce off the water like hail on stone. Bright purple pansies dotted the grass; some were in clusters, and some were alone. The beauty of it all almost made her forget about the bad weather of the day, and Falcontooth, and her lie to Spottedstream...

"Like it?"

Shadepool turned around to see a beaming Redclaw staring at her expectantly. Rather than responding, she just vigorously nodded her head to show a definite "yes."

The tom blinked warmly and walked toward her. "I thought you would," he mewed. "It's the one place in all of NightClan territory that doesn't look like a mud heap."

Shadepool bit back a laugh.

"I must say, it _is_ rather...gorgeous!" she remarked.

Redclaw looked around. "Yeah. It is, isn't it?"

Shadepool, staring at the end of the glade across from them, narrowed her eyes at the pond. It seemed oddly familiar. She padded toward the water intently, aware of Redclaw following her over to it.

"Is something wrong?" he asked in confusion.

Shadepool shook her head. She gazed down into the pond, her reflection staring back at her. She didn't quite understand why the pool was so familiar to her; she had never been here before in her life.

_Shadepool._

She turned her head to Redclaw. "Yes?"

"I didn't say anything," he meowed. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

_Shadepool!_

"Shadepool?"

_Shadepool..._

"Shadepool, you there?"

_Sha-a-a-depo-o-o-o-l._

Her breath was becoming quick with fear. Unintentionally, she moved her head back to stare down at the pond and blinked. To her surprise, it was a bit painful. Her heart began to thump against her chest as the water darkened before her, and images started to flash among the small ripples caused by the rain.

She saw brown tabby fur—but what did that tell her? There had to be at least thirty or forty brown tabbies among all four Clans—foaming water slapping against rocks far below, as if being viewed from the top of a cliff, and frantic cats hurrying about so that no single pelt color could be distinguished from another. But all the images were blasted away by a crashing wave of darkened water.

Her heart suddenly felt cold.

_Beware the black river._

That was what Sparrowpelt had said to her in her dream the night she had become a full medicine cat. He had told her that she would drown in the depths of her own heart, and her Clan would drown in the depths of the water. It was only now, as her vision in the pond told her she had been foolish to just forget about her dream, that she really thought about the prophecy—or premonition, rather. It felt as if she was _already _"drowning in the depths of her heart," having to deal with the lack of understanding from her Clanmates, the problems with Falcontooth, and her wounded feelings about every move she made that somehow seemed "wrong." But what about LeafClan "drowning in the depths of the water"? That couldn't possibly mean this heavy rain.

_"Shadepool...Hello!"_

She blinked, and suddenly the water beneath her was still, apart from the raindrops falling into it.

"Shadepool, can you even hear me?!"

Shadepool suppressed a sigh. "Sorry, Redclaw. I was just remembering something," she mewed. But what was it that she had been remembering? Why had she felt like she'd seen the pond before? No...it wasn't the _pond _she'd seen before; it was the dark water that had unfurled before her eyes. She had seen the same thing in her dream from Sparrowpelt and the other StarClan cats.

"Oh, that's okay," Redclaw replied. "You just seem a little distant." She could feel amusement crackling through the dark ginger tom's pelt. "I think you might need something to bring you back."

Shadepool squealed and leaped back in surprise as cold water drenched her downy chest fur. She looked with an appalled expression at Redclaw, who was grinning, eyes agleam. Droplets fell from his paw, which hovered above the pond.

"That's not fair, I wasn't expecting it!"

"You weren't supposed to," Redclaw chuckled.

Infuriated, yet at the same time bubbling with laughter, Shadepool shot her paw into the chill pool—down, sideways, and up so that water was sprayed back at the NightClan tom.

Redclaw laughed, causing laughter to erupt from Shadepool as well. Pausing a heartbeat to stare defiantly at each other, they splashed one another with the freezing water over and over. Redclaw yelled in surprise whenever he got hit; Shadepool gave high-pitched squeals, like most she-cats do. They leapt from place to place, batting at each other as a distraction so they could scoop out more water. There at that glade, Shadepool had never had so much fun in her life.

Now, time wasn't frozen. It was zooming by much too fast!

* * *

The sun was setting when Shadepool and Redclaw finally said their goodbyes. They had ended their game of splashing a while ago, and had settled themselves on the grass to relax. It was still pouring rain, but they were already soaking wet anyhow.

They pushed through the willow vines that overhung the entrance and found themselves back in NightClan's forest. It looked more gloomier than usual after having been in the glade for so long.

"Sunhigh, tomorrow?" Shadepool asked.

Redclaw nodded. "I'll be there, kitten. See ya!"

"Yeah, bye." Shadepool turned around in time with the other cat and walked away. Keeping an eye on the lowering sun through the trees, she broke into a run. Before she knew it, she was back in her own territory. Even though she'd had so much fun with Redclaw, the dark she-cat felt relieved to be back where she really belonged.

As she entered camp, Shadepool wondered for the first time if anyone would be able to smell NightClan scent on her fur. But the rain hadn't let up all day; she was relying on it, as well as the water from the pond, to mask the smell of where she'd been all afternoon.

Not very much to her surprise, Falcontooth rushed out of the warriors' den with furious eyes.

"Where have you been all this time?!" he demanded. "No herbs, no prey—and the rain couldn't have gotten you _that _wet! What were you doing, Shadepool?!"

Still caught up in her time with Redclaw, Shadepool didn't mind the deputy's possessive behavior much. She simply rolled her eyes and brushed past him. "You sound like my mother," she laughed without looking back.

She disappeared into the medicine den before Falcontooth could retort anything. Her limbs suddenly felt weary from moving around all day, and she closed her eyes happily when she sank into her warm nest.

As she drifted off, Redclaw's wonderful face filled her head. Unfortunately, "beware the black river"intruded, and was the last thing she thought of before falling into a restless, troubled sleep.

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**Doesn't get much cuter than that, huh? :) But when I go back and read some parts, I cringe at how corny it is. HOW COULD I HAVE WRITTEN SENTENCES THAT CORNY?! Aaaaanyhooooo. Please review!!**

**Maplecloud**

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	6. Chapter 5

**Yahootie, Chapter 5!! This one isn't all about ShadexRed; you might be surprised by what you find. ;) **

**Enjoy! ****

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Chapter 5

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"So...how is your family?" Shadepool was sitting by the pond with Redclaw. Even though it was the second day of non-stop rain, the glade looked as beautiful as it had the last time.

"Fine, thank you," the ginger warrior purred. "Thrushkit is turning out to be a nice young tom—he takes after his father." Redclaw smirked. "He'll be an apprentice soon."

Shadepool smiled, though the fact that he _had _a family still made her feel strange inside. "I'm happy to hear that," she mewed. "And how's Brackenfoot?"

At that, Redclaw frowned. "She's fine," he replied flatly.

"What is it?" It always seemed like the energy in the tom died away for a moment whenever he spoke of his mate.

"Nothing. She just...won't let it go."

Shadepool put her head to the side. "Won't let what go?"

"Well, remember that time you and I saw each other at the border the day before the Gathering? The reason I was out of camp was because I'd caused some trouble."

She grinned; that sounded like the Redclaw she knew.

"I was annoying this fox, and when I ran away it must've followed my scent, because when I got back to camp it came in right after me; it practically gave every cat in NightClan a heart attack. We drove it out of the territory, but then I made the mistake of laughing about it and telling Graystar that I had been teasing it...so everyone blamed me for 'bringing danger into our home.' I'm pretty sure that's what Graystar said." He smiled weakly. "Anyway, Brackenfoot was pretty mad about it. She and I got into a fight, and she told me that eventually I'd have to stop acting more like a kit than our son and start being a mature tomcat." His face was stiff with submerged anger as he stared at the ground.

Shadepool gently nudged his shoulder to bring him out of his distraction. "I'm sorry. But I'm sure Brackenfoot will realize that you're as good as any tom. Your Clan, too. It's like you told me yesterday: if any of them know you at all, they won't think of you like that."

Redclaw grunted and veered away from her. She was beginning to feel sorry that she had ever asked about Brackenfoot; now he was so upset!

"My Clan forgave me that same day," he growled. "But Brackenfoot can never let _anything _go. She just latches on to the first flaw she can find in me and doesn't let go."

"Well, that doesn't sound like much of a mate," Shadepool remarked quietly, moving her head to the left so as to try and see Redclaw's face.

He turned around slowly. "I love her, but at the same time I...kind of don't. I just don't like to admit how I feel because I want everything to turn out fine, for Thrushkit's sake." Heaving a sigh, he fell into a sitting position. His green eyes were troubled.

Shadepool padded over to his side. "Then don't you think you should tell her that?"

Redclaw didn't reply. He just looked away, off into the distance, and was silent.

She felt sorry for the tom, she truly did—although at the same time she was actually _glad_ that he felt so torn and trapped. She realized how awful that sounded, but it told her that the two of them had much more in common than she'd thought. She suppressed a sigh and looked down at her paws.

* * *

The sun had risen only recently. Shadepool padded through the forest, her mouth filled with herbs. Once back in camp yesterday evening, she had remembered that she'd ended up not gathering the plants she needed for the second time, the day Redclaw had shown her the glade. So when she woke up, she waited until it was light enough and set off to get juniper berries, burdock, and comfrey.

She was glad LeafClan lived in dense woodland; it was the third day that the rain hadn't stopped, but the thick intertwine of leafy branches in the forest's canopy provided some protection from the water. However, the woods were still wet and cold, and Shadepool could feel the chill from the rain in her whole body. But at least here, it wasn't as heavy as it could be.

Ever since she'd left Redclaw in NightClan territory the day before, she couldn't stop thinking of their conversation about Brackenfoot. The tom's heart seemed to be pulled in two directions; he had said he loved Brackenfoot, but yet he didn't. Maybe he really _did _love her—but not as a mate. More like kin, or simply a friend.

_A friend he had a kit with, _she thought uncomfortably to herself.

Shadepool's thoughts, as always, took control of her focus until it was too late for her to notice a tree root in her path. She gasped as she felt her paw catch on it. As she fell to the ground, her herbs scattered everywhere.

"Mouse dung!" she hissed in annoyance. She quickly began sweeping the plants toward her with a paw—suddenly, however, she noticed that _another _paw was contributing.

Looking up, Shadepool nearly leapt out of her pelt as a dark gray tom met her gaze. His light blue eyes sparked with amusement.

"Sorry if I've frightened you," he purred. "Just thought I'd help."

Instinctively, Shadepool arched her back and puffed out her tail. Backing away, she nearly tripped on the same root all over again.

"W-who are you?" she stammered nervously.

The tom straightened himself. "I'm Storm," he explained. "I'm not sure what you Clan cats would call me...A loner? Or a rogue?"

Swallowing, Shadepool took a tentative step forward. "Well, where do you live?" she asked slowly.

"With a group of cats in that thin woodland."

"Then you're a rogue," she concluded. "You live in the Roguelands with the Tribe of Stone." Those cats gave her chills. They weren't necessarily "evil," and they hadn't ever stolen prey or territory from the Clans, as far as she could remember. But their strange rituals, shifting eyes, and the way they slunk around like foxes had always given her a bad feeling.

"Okay, so to you I'm a rogue." Storm grinned. "We don't use that term much in the Tribe. We call ourselves protectors, since we take care of each other just like you cats in the Clans. And then there's our leader, deputy, and healer. We're not much different from you, really."

Shadepool looked the tom up and down. "I'm sorry, but why are you telling me this? You just came out of nowhere, and now suddenly you're giving me an inside look at the Tribe of Stone. Why are you even talking to me?"

Storm looked slightly hurt. He stepped back and stared at her. "A bit moody, aren't we?"

Shadepool opened her maw to answer, but closed it again and rested her eyes on the ground. "I-I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just...I don't know you, and you don't me, and quite frankly this is strange."

With that, she pushed past the gray tom in the direction of the LeafClan camp. She made to disappear in some bushes, but turned her head to look over her shoulder first. "Goodbye, Storm," she mewed plainly. Turning back around, she leaped nimbly over the bushes and successfully landed on the other side, breaking into a steady bounding pace.

She blinked her eyes into the sun that streamed down through the trees, despite the stormy clouds surrounding it. Though the warmth was inviting after days of cold weather, and greenleaf had always been the season she enjoyed most, Shadepool welcomed a gentle breeze blowing into her face; it was almost as if three days of rain had adapted her body to the chilly environment.

Suddenly, a feeling of unease drifted over her. She halted and glanced around, but saw only the forested territory of LeafClan. Birds were crooning cheerfully, and the sun was still seeping through the canopy; it was a normal, pleasant day. So why did she feel so nervous all of a sudden?

Shadepool swallowed hard with anxiety as fear coiled around her. She could hear another set of pawsteps thudding on the ground behind her. She didn't need a second thought to know who it was—Storm had followed her.

Dark pelt bristling, Shadepool jumped through the air, her only priority being to get back to camp safely. But she hadn't expected the soil to be so soft; a front paw sunk into the ground like a stone, and she went hurtling downwards, landing awkwardly on her shoulder.

"Shadepool!" a voice hissed.

She looked up in horror to see Storm emerging from the undergrowth. Though her paw and shoulder both ached from her fall to the ground, she struggled with all her strength to get up. But a jolt of pain simply sent her back down to the ground.

"H-how do you know my name?" she asked in a frightened tone, looking over at Storm. But the tomcat didn't answer her question.

"Here, let me help you," he offered, stepping towards her.

Panic commanded Shadepool to fight the feeling in her shoulder. She leapt to her paws, choking back a cry of pain.

"No!" she spat. "Don't come near me at all. Leave me alone!" She unsheathed her claws, digging them into the soil and pushing herself forward. She could see trees and bushes zooming past out of the corner of her eye as she raced aimlessly through the woods. She wasn't completely sure of where she was headed; all she wanted to do was get away from Storm, who she could faintly hear running a ways behind her.

"Shadepool, stop!" he yowled.

Obviously, she didn't obey and kept on running. She could feel her heart pounding like it never had before, and she didn't want to stop and find out if Storm would hurt her. She was uncomfortably aware of the longing to be with Redclaw right now; he would make her feel safe.

"Go ahead and run, Shadepool!" Storm continued to call from somewhere behind her; a fresh wave of fear surged through her body as she realized his voice was becoming louder, and she knew he was getting nearer to her. "But I've waited too long to be with you, and I'm not giving up now. I'll find you somehow!"

That was it. Shadepool had to end this now before it got dangerous for the future. With all the bravery she could gather, she firmly stopped herself and turned around, muscles stiff with the effort of running so swiftly. Body twice its original size with her fur fluffed out, she waited for Storm's appearance, despite the overwhelming urge to flee.

Before long, his gray pelt could be seen among the trees. He must have noticed her, for he slowed down as he stepped out from his cover. The tom's light blue eyes were focused on Shadepool, sending a chill down her spine.

"I know you're scared, but—"

Shadepool curled her lip back and snarled at him furiously. "Great StarClan, get away from me!" she hissed, unsheathing her claws readily. "Of course I'm scared! I've never seen you before in my life, and you're telling me _you've _been trying to locate me all of _your _life, and that you'll stop at nothing to find me if I get away?"

Storm gazed unblinking at her and didn't flinch, but his eyes glimmered with embarrassment at her harsh words.

"I mean...who do you think you are?!"

Suddenly, he took a hard step forward and flattened his ears in frustration. "I _think _I'm your brother!" he spat.

Shadepool fell silent. Her whiskers dropped, and her tail stopped twitching. Her pupils widened in shock until they nearly filled her blue eyes. Now not so convinced this tom was here with bad intentions, her prickling fur lay flat again.

"M-my brother?" she stuttered just loud enough for Storm to hear. "But that's impossible. My mother always told me I was her only kit. We _can't _be siblings."

Storm looked down as he spoke: "Well, I guess it's _not_ impossible, because we are. And I've been trying to find you...for as long as I can remember. I've never had a real family before, so I thought I'd find the only living kin I knew of." He raised his eyes back to her face.

Shadepool sighed, taking a moment to let her mind get somewhat used to this surprising discovery. She walked forward to sit in front of Storm. "But then why wouldn't my mother tell me I had a brother? And how did _you _know you had a sister?"

"There's a lot to be explained," Storm remarked, smiling. He sat down as well and looked at her levelly. "You see, I wasn't born into the Tribe of Stone. I thought I was, but when I was old enough to 'understand things,' my mother told me where I really came from. She said she'd been waiting for the right time. It really came as a shock to me when I learned that my mother...wasn't my mother."

Shadepool's expression softened with sympathy; she knew what it felt like to go through tough realizations. Redclaw's ginger pelt briefly flashed through her mind.

"So she told me that I was born to a LeafClan mother," he went on, "but that my father had been part of the Tribe. I guess the only kits in the litter were you and me, because our parents each took one to be raised in their own group. I was raised in the Tribe, and you grew up in your Clan. But our father died shortly after I was taken in by the Tribe cats, although no one ever told me what had happened to him...Sometimes I have dreams about his death. Well, more like nightmares about what might've happened."

His gaze drifted away from Shadepool for a moment, as if he was remembering what he saw in his sleep.

"Anyway, my foster mother told me that she didn't know who my mother was because my father had never spoken her name to anyone. It was probably the hardest thing either of them ever had to do, choosing to go their separate ways and splitting up their children...Obviously, I wanted to know who my sister was. So she told me your name had been Shadekit, and that you had black fur with blue eyes—just like...her."

Shadepool frowned and looked away, remembering the pain of her beloved mother's death. She gazed down at a small puddle next to her, nearly feeling all the sorrow from moons ago over again when a replica of Nightleaf met her eyes.

"After that, I spent all the time I could seeking you out," Storm continued to explain. "Eventually, I had learned a lot about you. Your adult name: Shadepool. Your rank as medicine cat apprentice. Even a little about your personality. I wanted nothing more than to know you."

Shadepool blinked at him warmly.

"So...here I am, trying to know you," he finished. The tom sighed, as if it felt great to get everything out at last.

Shadepool was silent for a moment, staring at her newly-found brother. "Wow," she finally laughed, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She hadn't felt this much happiness since her mother had been alive—or...since she had met Redclaw. "I have a brother!" she mewed. Lunging forward, she pressed her cheek to Storm's and closed her eyes. Though she had only known him for a little while, and not too long ago she had actually thought he was deranged, it felt unbelievably wonderful to be so close to him. It was like she had known he was her brother all along, even though she'd just found out moments ago.

Shadepool stepped back and opened her eyes again, staring at the gray tom. "Come back to the LeafClan camp with me," she invited.

"Really?" Storm asked in surprise. "You'd just waltz in with a cat no one in your Clan knows and say he was your brother?"

"Well, apparently that's what you are," Shadepool replied with a laugh. "I'm sure they'll be as shocked as I was, but they'll get used to it. Come on, the camp's this way." Without waiting for Storm's next response, she turned around and started to lead the way to the grassy hollow.

"Okay, right behind you!" Storm meowed, bounding after her and slowing to a walk at the she-cat's shoulder.

As Shadepool walked with her brother, the fact that she _had _a brother still feeling quite strange, a smile crept across her maw. Though her friendship with Redclaw grew every time they saw each other, knowing he was from a different Clan still made her feel alone in the world. Also having someone else she never felt uncomfortable meeting with, let alone that someone being her _brother, _made her eyes shine.

**

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**

Didn't expect that, now did ya? Haha. I'm not really sure why I thought of that twist to the story...I guess I just didn't want it to all be about one single thing, because that would make it kind of boring, and _I _would get bored _writing _about just one thing. So anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) Oh, and sorry about Shadepool's little rant about how the 'forest canopy provided some protection from the rain' or whatever. That was kind of random, lol.

**-Maplecloud**


	7. Chapter 6

**Yay, another chapter added really quickly after the last one! xD Enjoy Chappie 6. ;)**

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Chapter 6

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Shadepool stopped in front of the leafy tunnel, Storm beside her. His remark from earlier echoed in her head: _You'd just waltz in with a cat no one in your Clan knows and say he was your brother? _What if her Clanmates were hostile toward the tom; what if they were angry with _her _for bringing a stranger into the camp? But she pushed her worries aside. Storm was her brother, and that was that. _If they know me at all, they would never call me a traitor, _she silently quoted Redclaw. But her own words came to mind as well: _But that's just it. They _don't _know me..._

"Shadepool." Storm's mew interrupted her nervous thinking. "Are we going in or what?" He jerked his head in the direction of the camp entrance.

Taking a deep breath, Shadepool nodded in response. "Yes, let's go." Forcing herself to show no signs of hesitance, she pushed her way through the tunnel of leaves, Storm following, and glanced around camp. A few cats were lying around, sharing tongues or eating fresh-kill. Mudstar was lounging on the Tallboulder, the protruding branch of an evergreen tree shielding his body from the rain. Falcontooth, to her dismay, was lying right outside the warriors' den—and he was the first to notice her with Storm.

The tabby instantly leaped to his paws and bared his teeth at the unfamiliar cat. He started racing toward them, but stopped by the fresh-kill pile.

It was all Shadepool could do to keep from trembling. She hated herself for letting Falcontooth intimidate her. He was just some jerk who threw his weight around rather than pulling it. Why was she so afraid of him?

"Shadepool, who is this?!" the tom hissed angrily, directing his amber eyes to Storm. "You can't just bring random cats into camp!"

Shadepool growled through gritted teeth, now simply annoyed at how quickly Falcontooth had jumped to the wrong conclusion. She would never bring a cat she didn't know into LeafClan's camp, and despite how she knew the deputy to act, she was slightly offended that he would think that of her.

"Falcontooth, this is Storm," she explained carefully. A flick of her tail signaled for him to step forward. She kept her gaze firmly on Falcontooth, only seeing Storm's movement out of the corner of her eye. "I met him this morning in the forest; he helped me when I dropped all my herbs." Suddenly, a thought came to mind. "Wait...where _are _my herbs?" Groaning, she realized that she'd forgotten to pick the plants back up before she'd started running from the gray tom.

"Don't worry, Shadepool," Storm mewed. "I had a feeling you'd want to bring them home with you, so _I _picked them up." He turned and dropped them at her paws.

Shadepool blinked at him in gratitude. "Thank you, Storm." She nodded curtly and then returned her focus to Falcontooth, who looked less than pleased. "Anyway, he started chasing me and I thought he was dangerous or something, which is why I dropped the herbs and just ran. But then when he caught up to me we got to talking—"

"You started having a conversation with the cat that was coming after you?" Falcontooth interrupted with a snort. He rolled his eyes. "That sure sounds like Shadepool."

"Hey, don't say that about her!" Storm hissed, taking a step toward him menacingly.

Shadepool gently swept her tail across her brother's face. "It's okay Storm, that's just how Falcontooth talks," she assured him, glaring at the tabby.

Storm, though still clearly angry at Falcontooth's remark, let his fur lie flat.

"This may come as a surprise, but..."

"But what?" Falcontooth grumbled.

Shadepool opened her maw, but waited a moment to speak; of all the cats she could've broken the news to, it just had to be this one. "Storm...is my brother."

Falcontooth's eyes widened, and Shadepool was aware of cats raising their heads. But at least she didn't have to say it to a whole crowd for many of them to find out.

"Your brother?" the deputy echoed in disbelief. "But you don't _have_ a brother!"

"That's what I thought too," Shadepool meowed. "But apparently I don't have full LeafClan blood."

Heads still raised, some of the cats lying around camp gasped.

"What do you mean? Of course you're a LeafClan cat." Falcontooth's neck fur was bristling. He obviously didn't like what he was hearing.

Shadepool looked away. "Well, I _am _a LeafClan cat...but I don't have full LeafClan heritage. My mother—Nightleaf—was a member of LeafClan, but my father was part of the Tribe of Stone, where Storm grew up." She glanced at her brother, who was staring at his paws worriedly.

Falcontooth's ears were flattened with surprise. He didn't say anything for one, long moment.

"But that...that can't possibly be true," he protested. "Then you'd be a half-Clan cat!"

She shook her head. "No, I'd just be part rogue. The Tribe of Stone doesn't really exist as a Clan. No offense, Storm," she added quickly.

The tom shrugged, dismissing it.

"Shadepool, is this true?"

Startled, she gasped and whirled around to see Mudstar, olive eyes calm as usual despite this discovery, standing only a couple tail-lengths away.

Hesitating, she nodded. "Yes, it is...I-I'm sorry, Mudstar. But _I _didn't even know, I..." She shook her head, not knowing what else to say.

"There's nothing to apologize for," the leader mewed. "This is just a shock."

Shadepool looked down, too nervous to meet his gaze. Had she disappointed him because she wasn't fully LeafClan? Had she angered him for telling anyone at all? It was now that she wondered if she should've just kept it a secret; that might've been better for everyone...

No one said anything. The camp was dead silent, making Shadepool's fur bristle in apprehension. She looked around, surprised at how many cats now stood around the hollow, staring at her and Storm. The news must've been passed on quickly, for it seemed that every cat was out of its den—even the queens were sitting outside the nursery with their small kits.

"So our medicine cat is part _rogue?!_" someone hissed at last.

Instantly, the whole camp erupted with yowls and snarls and comments she didn't much appreciate.

"What could this mean?!" a young voice shouted.

"Is this a sign from StarClan?!" another cat yelled.

"Yes, it must be!" a tom yowled. "If our _medicine cat_ is half rogue, then our warrior ancestors must be trying to tell us something!"

A coarse-furred brown apprentice stepped forward. "What if they're trying to warn us of bad times for the future?" the young tom wondered. "After all, rogues aren't the most pleasant cats to mingle with." His remark was followed by a smirk that reminded Shadepool uncannily of Falcontooth.

_Of course, that's his nephew Minkpaw, _she remembered. _Great StarClan, their personalities couldn't be different to save their lives..._Great. That was the last thing she needed; another Falcontooth, just brimming with brand new rude things to say.

She quickly became overwhelmed by all the comments lashing at her. She couldn't change the fact that Storm was her brother, but maybe it hadn't been the smartest idea to share it with others.

"It's a sign! It has to be a sign!"

"If she's really part rogue, then—"

"Then she doesn't belong here!"

Shadepool's heart froze. _She doesn't belong here. _It throbbed among her thoughts like an open wound. Would her Clan really believe that she didn't belong in LeafClan just because of this?

"Hey, wait a moment!" someone snarled.

Everyone looked in the direction the voice had come from and widened their eyes. Shadepool followed their gazes, gasping at what she saw. It was Redclaw!

_What in the name of StarClan is he doing here?! _she thought worriedly. _He's just going to get himself into trouble._

The ginger tom was accompanied by a pretty tabby she-cat. Shadepool swallowed as she realized who it was.

Seeing that no one else was going to do anything, she bravely strutted up to the two NightClan cats and fixed her blue gaze on Redclaw. "What are you and Brackenfoot doing here?" she asked sternly, being careful not to reveal anything in her voice. "This is LeafClan's camp. You can't just barge in whenever you want!"

Redclaw stared at her, eyes shining with amusement at how serious Shadepool was forcing herself to be. "Don't worry, we mean no harm," he assured, glancing around at all the LeafClan cats. "But Brackenfoot and I were out hunting"—he flicked the she-cat's shoulder with his tail-tip—"and we heard a whole lot of noise coming from your territory."

Minkpaw narrowed his eyes. "Either we were a lot louder than it sounded in here, or you were way too close to our turf," he challenged.

"Minkpaw, hush." Fernheart, who stood beside the bristling apprentice, gently shoved him with her flank.

The apprentice growled in annoyance, but embarrassment silenced him and he didn't say anything more.

"We wanted to make sure everything was all right," Brackenfoot continued for her mate, "so we came to check on you."

Falcontooth curled his lip back and took a heavy step toward the two cats. "What do you think LeafClan is, a pack of troublesome kits?!" he spat. "We don't need to be 'checked on,' and you trespassed on our territory!"

Yowls of anger swept through the crowd.

"And whatever we were making noise about," Falcontooth added, "was really none of your business anyway! It's not your job to take care of other Clans." His whiskers quivered as he kept his fangs bared.

Redclaw sighed. "I'm sorry if we've offended you, but there's no harm in making sure you're okay. You should be glad that we'd want to do that!" His words were directed to Falcontooth; the two tomcats stared at each other with burning eyes.

Shadepool gazed at him, silent for a moment. "A cat's loyalties lie within their own Clan," she meowed, her voice somewhat quiet. "You're not _supposed _to make sure other Clans are all right."

Redclaw looked at her in surprise. Her heart was jabbed with guilt when she saw the hurt in his eyes, but she still made an effort to give nothing away.

The red tom blinked. "Well, if that's the way it is then I guess we'll just leave." She could hear a small sigh escape him.

As the two warriors turned around and started to disappear into the leafy tunnel, Shadepool bounded forward. "Wait!" she called.

Redclaw backed out, turning to look at her again. "What?" he asked dryly.

"That glade in your territory that I've heard about?" Shadepool began, making Redclaw's ears prick. "I imagine it would be wonderful to go there."

The tom grinned and blinked at her knowingly. "Yeah, it's really something."

Shadepool nodded, and this time said nothing as he and Brackenfoot left the camp.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, not quite sure what had just happened.

"Well, that was kind of weird," Minkpaw growled. "I'm out of here." With one last glare at Shadepool, he sprinted towards the apprentices' den and disappeared among the brambles.

Mumbling to themselves and each other, everyone else departed to their dens and activities as well. After Minkpaw, no one so much as glanced at her. Shadepool's fur flattened in relief as Mudstar and even Falcontooth walked away too. The worst was over; maybe the Clan had actually accepted her new kin, even though nothing more had been said about it. _I guess I'll just have to wait until they all remember to see what they think about it, _she thought to herself.

"Well, you did it." Storm padded up to her and smiled. "And you didn't die."

Shadepool laughed and shook her head. "Yes, I'm still alive and well," she replied. She heaved a sigh. "But just barely..."

Storm looked taken aback. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked in concern.

But Shadepool didn't reply. She just turned and lumbered off toward her den with the herbs she'd gathered that morning in her mouth, longing for some sleep; she'd need to feel awake when she went to meet Redclaw tonight. She knew he had guessed what she'd meant upon mentioning the glade. "Come see me tomorrow!" she called to her brother through her mouthful, before staggering into the medicine den.

Storm now stood alone in the camp. "Um...all right," he replied, even though Shadepool couldn't hear him anymore. Exhaling and widening his eyes stressfully, he headed for the leafy tunnel and slipped out of the camp.

* * *

A pointed crescent moon glowed in the sky as Shadepool padded through the dark forest. The rain had lightened to a drizzle, but it still dampened her fur until she was shivering.

She was silent as she crossed the NightClan border and headed for the glade. When she thought about it, it was strange how normal it felt now to just walk into NightClan's territory and meet with a cat from another Clan. But she didn't think about that much; she was focusing with worry on what Redclaw would say to her now that they would be alone. She had taken him by surprise when she spoke to him in the LeafClan camp, saying that a cat's loyalty lay in their Clan and nowhere else. She knew that she'd hurt him, but she hadn't meant to! Besides, what _they _were doing was okay; they were just friends.

Shadepool stopped as she got to the glade. A light breeze was making the vines at the entrance sway back and forth. Sighing, she padded through them into the pretty clearing.

Redclaw was already there; he was sitting in front of the pond, face turned to the sky. As Shadepool walked toward him, he heard her pawsteps and turned to look at her.

"Shadepool, hi!" he meowed excitedly. "Come look at this."

She quickened her pace until she was by his side. "Hi!" she greeted. "What do you want me to see?"

Redclaw smiled at her and pointed with his nose at an empty place above the pond. He didn't say anything, just stared.

Shadepool put her head to the side in confusion. "I don't see anything," she told him quietly.

"Hold on, just wait a second," Redclaw replied.

Without protest, Shadepool followed the tom's gaze and looked up at the empty space in expectation. Nothing happened for a moment—but suddenly, a tiny ball of light appeared in the darkness, followed by another. Shadepool gasped happily as more and more small lights flashed on and off. There were fireflies everywhere!

"See, what'd I tell ya?" Redclaw mewed.

Shadepool glanced over at him. "They're beautiful," she whispered.

He nodded, grinning. "Yeah. It's like looking at little stars right in front of you."

They stared up at the flashing lights for one moment after another, until Redclaw pressed Shadepool's shoulder with a paw. She looked at him questioningly.

"You ever wish you could _catch _a star?" he asked.

Shadepool smiled and narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. What do you mean?"

The tom gathered himself and leaped into the air, batting at a firefly close to him. Putting his paw over it, he dragged it back down with him. The small bug, in shock from the impact, lay still on the ground, its light still on as if trying to alert the other insects.

Redclaw gently pushed it over to Shadepool. "Well, there you go," he purred.

Shadepool examined the "star," then turned back to Redclaw. "Thanks," she said with a laugh. "But you're still thinking about today, aren't you?"

He frowned and looked away—which answered the question. "What did you mean by that comment about loyalty?" he murmured. "Are you saying that we're traitors to our Clans by meeting like this?"

Shadepool sighed and jumped to her feet. "No, that's not what I meant!" she meowed. "Well...at the time, it was."

Redclaw jerked his head toward her. "So you _do _think we're being disloyal?!"

"Do you?"

The tom hesitated before replying. "I-I don't really know," he meowed quietly. "Sometimes I feel like I'm keeping something from my Clan—well, I _am _keeping something from them, but when I really think about it, it seems much worse than it is." He paused, staring into the trees. "I guess I don't think we're being disloyal...I just sometimes feel guilty about keeping a secret from my family, and from my Clan."

Shadepool stepped closer to him. "I know how you feel," she mewed.

Suddenly, Redclaw rounded on her. "But why did you have to say it like you did?" he demanded. "It made me feel even more guilty!"

She backed away in surprise, blue eyes wide. "I...I'm sorry," she whispered, not meeting his gaze. "It's just hard."

Redclaw blinked. "What's hard?"

"Everything!" Shadepool cried, giving a quivering sigh. "No one understands me, everyone expects something from me, and if I make one mistake it weighs me down like a rock!" She choked back tears as she realized that she had just said what she'd wanted to shout to the world since she'd received the name 'Shadepool'. Earning your adult name was a sign of maturity, and after she'd gotten it, it seemed like every cat in the Clan expected her to tend to their needs perfectly—they'd even ask her for advice, but rather than being flattered it just made her life even more stressful.

Redclaw stared at her in silent surprise, until the look in his wide eyes softened sympathetically. "Shadepool, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. _Everyone _makes mistakes; just because you don't do something completely perfect, doesn't make you any less wonderful."

She looked at him abruptly, taken aback. "You think I'm..._wonderful?_" she asked softly. No cat had ever said _that _about her.

"Well, yeah." Redclaw smiled, blinking his green eyes warmly. "Who in their right mind wouldn't?"

Shadepool stared at him. "Thank you, Redclaw..." she mewed. "That means a lot. And...I think you're pretty wonderful, too."

"Well, of course I am!" he teased.

Shadepool laughed, shaking her head. "You seem so sure of yourself," she remarked. "Don't you ever worry about anything?"

Redclaw smiled briefly. "All I worry about these days is not being able to escape to this glade to see you."

Shadepool's eyes glimmered, half with happiness, and half with concern...They _were _just friends, right?

* * *

**Heehee, things are really coming together. :) But once again I was kind of mushy...Oh, well. Lol. Review please!!**

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